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Part  One 
Vocational  Survey 

FOR 

The  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School 


Facts  About  the  Public  Schools  of 
New  Orleans  in  Relation 
to  Vocation 

i  • 


BY 

DAVID  SPENCE  HILL,  Ph.  D. 

Division  of  Educational  Research, 
Department  of  Superintendence,  Public  Schools, 

New  Orleans 


Published  by  the 

Commission  Council,  New  Orleans 
June  1914 


1  JeCLt 


I 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL  FROM  THE  SUPERINTEND¬ 
ENT. 


Office 

SUPERINTENDENT  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 
Municipal  Office  Building 


New  Orleans,  June  27,  1914. 

Sirs :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  Part  One  of  the  report 
on  the  Vocational  Survey  for  the  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades 
School  for  Boys.  This  survey  is  being  made  by  the  Division 
of  Educational  Research  of  the  Department  of  Superintend¬ 
ence  of  the  Public  Schools,  as  provided  by  the  Commisison 
Council  in  Ordinance  No.  608,  approved  July  15,  1913. 

In  undertaking  a  work  of  such  vital  significance  to  this  city 
as  the  establishment  of  a  trades  school  of  the  magnitude  made 
possible  by  the  bequest  of  Mr.  Delgado,  it  is  of  the  highest  im¬ 
portance  that  preliminary  studies  be  made  in  order  that  the 
school  when  established  may  most  effectively  meet  the  needs 
of  the  community  and  best  serve  the  interests  of  the  boys  who 
will  attend  it.  There  is  great  interest  in  this  community  and 
throughout  the  country  in  matters  pertaining  to  vocational 
education.  For  this  reason,  I  recommend  that  the  accompany¬ 
ing  manuscript,  prepared  by  David  S.  Hill,  Director  of  Di¬ 
vision  of  Educational  Research,  be  published  as  a  bulletin  by 
the  Commission  Council. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  M.  GWINN, 
Superintendent. 

To  the  Commission  Council. 


3 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL  FROM  THE  DIRECTOR. 

Office 

DIVISION  OF  EDUCATIONAL  RESEARCH 

New  Orleans,  La.,  June  25,  1914. 

The  Commission  Council, 

New  Orleans,  Louisiana. 

Gentlemen:  I  am  transmitting  herewith  to  you  through 
the  Superintendent  of  Schools  the  first  portion  (Part  One) 
of  the  results  of  the  vocational  and  educational  survey  pre¬ 
paratory  to  the  establishment  of  the  Isaac  Delgado  Central 
Trades  School  for  Boys.  It  is  entitled 

Part  One, 

Vocational  Survey, 

For 

The  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School. 

Facts  About  the  Public  Schools  of  New  Orleans  in  Relation 

to  Vocations. 

The  attached  manuscript  (Part  One),  the  present  letter, 
and  the  various  materials  and  data  referred  to  below  as  con¬ 
cerning  the  Delgado  School,  are  herewith  made  a  part  of 
the  required  report  to  the  Commission  Council  in  accordance 
with  Ordinance  No.  608,  Section  2.  The  other  materials  not 
actually  attached  herewith  are  available  in  the  office  of  tlie 
Division  of  Educational  Research,  as  explained  herein. 

A  portion  of  my  time  and  that  of  my  assistants  has  been 
devoted  to  the  clinical  study  of  children  and  to  other  work 
within  the  routine  of  the  public  schools. 

I  desire  now  to  designate  the  activities  to  date  of  the  Di¬ 
vision  of  Educational  Research  with  reference  to  the  pro¬ 
posed  Delgado  School  and  also  to  indicate  the  nature  and 
location  of  the  materials  referred  to  above. 

1.  For  some  90  factories  or  industries  employing  labor  the 
writer  by  personal  visitation  of  factories  and  plants,  or  by 
conferences,  has  collected  data  concerning  occupations,  pro¬ 
cesses,  number  and  wages  of  workers.  These  data  from  local 
industries,  when  supplemented  by  more  complete  information, 
should  be  of  value  in  adjusting  the  curricula  and  the  equip¬ 
ment  of  the  Delgado  School  to  the  needs  and  opportunities 
of  New  Orleans. 


4 


Written  records  of  each  of  the  visits  of  inspection  and  of 
the  conferences,  and  replies  received  by  mail,  are  contained  in 
Files  No.  1  and  No.  2,  in  the  Division  of  Educational  Re¬ 
search. 

2.  In  behalf  of  the  Delgado  School  a  journey  of  inspec¬ 
tions  at  the  expense  of  the  writer  was  completed  during  Sep¬ 
tember,  1913,  to  trades  schools  in  Portland,  Oregon;  Mil¬ 
waukee,  Wisconsin;  Rochester,  New  York;  Albany,  New  York; 
New  York  City;  Boston,  Massachusetts;  Worcester,  Massa¬ 
chusetts. 

A  report  upon  this  first  journey  was  transmitted  to  you  on 
October  23,  1913,  entitled : 

“Preliminary  Notes  on  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School, 
Vocational  Education  in  New  Orleans 

and  the 

Proposed  Work  of  the  Department  of  Educational  Research.’ ’ 

A  copy  of  these  notes  of  October  is  included  in  the  present 
report.  (See  File  IV.) 

3.  A  collection  of  reports  of  commissions  on  vocational 
education,  monographs  on  this  subject,  and  of  descriptions  of 
trades  schools — buildings,  equipment  and  curricula — in  Europe 
and  America,  has  been  made.  Typical  schools  are  represented 
in  the  present  collection,  which  is  contained  in  book  shelves 
1  and  2,  of  the  Division  of  Educational  Research. 

4.  At  the  expense  of  the  City,  during  May,  1914,  a  second 
journey  of  inspections  of  trades  and  other  schools  was  under¬ 
taken,  including : 

David  Ranken,  Jr.,  Trades  School,  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Williamson  Free  School  of  Mechanical  Trades,  Penn¬ 
sylvania. 

Wentworth  Institute,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

These  three  schools,  with  the  Worcester  School,  are  be¬ 
lieved  to  represent  the  best  existing  type  of  trades  schools  in 
the  United  States.  Data  concerning  these  schools  are  avail¬ 
able. 

5.  During  the  journey,  the  data  collected  to  date  in  fur¬ 
therance  of  the  Delgado  Study  were  reviewed  in  New  York  City 
and  Washington  by  a  committee  of  the  National  Society  for 


& 


5 


the  Promotion  of  Industrial  Education.  Commendation  and 
criticism  of  our  work  were  received  from  this  committee.  The 
following  gentlemen  spent  several  hours  in  going  over  the 
material : 

Mr.  C.  A.  Prosser,  Secretary  the  National  Society  for 
Promotion  of  Industrial  Education. 

Mr.  C.  R.  Richards,  Director  the  Cooper  Institute. 

Dr.  Leonard  Ayres,  The  Russell  Sage  Foundation. 

6.  Upon  invitation  the  writer  appeared  in  Washington  be¬ 
fore  the  Federal  Commission  on  Vocational  Education  and 
presented  an  argument  for  federal  aid  of  vocational  education 
in  cities  in  general,  and  of  the  Delgado  School  in  particular. 
An  abstract  of  the  remarks  presented  is  contained  in  File  IV. 

7.  Data  have  been  collected  from  some  1400  boys  and 
men,  wage  earners,  in  the  night  schools.  This  information  is 
analyzed  in  the  accompanying  report.  The  original  data  are 
contained  in  Package  A.  A  detailed  tabulation  of  the  data 
comprising  statements  concerning  each  pupil  is  contained  in 
Package  B. 

8.  Similarly,  with  the  help  of  teachers,  data  have  been 
collected  and  systematized,  ready  for  publication,  from  prac¬ 
tically  all  of  the  thirteen-year-old  boys  in  New  Orleans  schools, 
concerning  occupations  of  fathers,  aptitudes  of  the  boys  for 
trade  work,  etc. 

This  information,  contained  in  the  accompanying  report,  is 
found  in  detail  in  the  responses.  (Package  C.) 

9.  In  order  to  ascertain  for  every  school  and  for  each 
grade  in  the  schools  the  exact  status  with  regard  to  school 
progress,  a  complete  analysis  for  each  school  in  the  City  has 
been  completed.  The  results  (some  90  pages)  have  been  put 
in  the  hands  of  principals  and  superintendents  and  are  ready 
for  publication,  together  with  city  averages  and  deviations  in 
each  case.  The  material  has  also  been  graphically  repre¬ 
sented. 

10.  A  study  of  elimination.  Miss  Railey  has  undertaken 
to  study  individually  the  reasons  for  the  withdrawal  of  chil¬ 
dren  from  three  schools,  the  Nicholls,  the  Paulding,  and  the 
St.  Philip.  She  has  completed  the  work  in  the  Paulding  and 
St.  Philip,  and  for  the  first  term  in  the  Nicholls.  Written  re- 


6 


ports  in  each  case  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Superintendent. 
This  study  of  elimination  marks  the  beginning  of  an  investi¬ 
gation  to  ascertain  the  causes  of  the  expensive  evil  of  elimina¬ 
tion  in  New  Orleans.  Copies  of  her  report  are  contained  in 
File  IV. 

11.  Some  one  dozen  kinds  of  blank  forms  to  be  used  by 
the  Division  in  the  vocational  survey  and  also  in  other 
investigations  have  been  devised  and  put  into  use.  A  com¬ 
plete  set  of  these  forms  is  contained  in  File  V. 

12.  Considerable  correspondence  with  educators  and  ex¬ 
perts  in  education  has  been  carried  on.  This  includes  sugges¬ 
tions  regarding  legislation.  The  correspondence  is  in  File  VI. 

13.  A  conference  with  Secretary  of  the  Navy  Daniels, 
and  with  Admiral  Blue,  in  addition  to  correspondence,  was 
had  with  reference  to  the  possible  establishment  as  a  depart¬ 
ment  of  the  Delgado  School  of  a  nautical  department  for  the 
training  of  petty  officers,  machinists  and  seamen  for  the  navy 
and  for  the  merchant  marine. 

This  correspondence,  and  reports  and  data  relating  to  the 
best  known  nautical  schools,  are  contained  in  File  VII. 

14.  A  study  of  the  nature  and  care  of  delinquent  boys, 
a  study  of  some  350  pages,  has  been  prepared  and  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  Commission  Council. 

This  work  was  done  with  the  help  of  Dr.  Edmund  Moss, 
who  organized  a  corps  of  physicians  to  complete  one  aspect 
of  the  study,  and  also  by  Miss  Mary  Railey  who  did  all  of  the 
work  of  investigating  court  records  and  personal  histories. 

15.  During  March,  1914,  an  oral  report  was  made  to  the 
Commission  Council.  An  abstract  of  this  oral  report  is  con¬ 
tained  in  File  IV.  Various  other  memoranda  have  been  pre¬ 
pared,  e.  g.,  on  February  13,  1914,  Principles  Suggested  Pre¬ 
liminary  to  Choosing  a  Site  for  the  Delgado  Trades  School. 
(See  File  IV.) 

In  submitting  this  report  to  date  I  suggest  that  the  manu¬ 
script  (Survey,  Part  One)  be  put  into  printed  form  at  an  early 
date.  I  am, 

Respectfully  yours, 

DAVID  SPENCE  HILL,  Director. 


7 


CONTENTS. 


Letters  of  Transmittal. 


Pages  1-7. 


Tables  and  Charts. 


Pages  10-11. 


I. 

INTRODUCTORY  CONSIDERATIONS. 


The  Gift  of  Isaac  Delgado. 

Reasons  for  This  Study  Preliminary  to  Establishment. 
Action  of  the  Commission  Council  of  New  Orleans. 

What  Is  a  Trades  School?  Terminology. 

Scope  of  this  Study. 

Pages  12-17. 

II. 

GENERAL  FACTS  ABOUT  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  IN  NEW 

ORLEANS. 


Opportunity  Lacking  for  Education  of  Youth  in  Trades. 
Successes  and  Failures  of  Schools  and  of  Homes. 

The  Number  of  Boys  Enrolled  in  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh 
and  Eighth  Grades  Is  Relatively  too  Small  in  New  Orleans. 

Analysis  of  Progress  of  All  of  the  Children  in  Each  Grade 
of  Every  Public  Elementary  School  in  New  Orleans. 

Pages  18-28. 

III. 

ELIMINATION  OF  PUPILS  FROM  THE  SCHOOLS. 

Boys  Drop  Out  of  School  Early. 

Why  Boys  and  Girls  Drop  Out  of  School. 

A  Study  of  the  Causes  of  Withdrawals  from  the  Paulding 
and  from  the  St.  Philip  Schools. 

Pages  29-35. 

IV. 

A  STUDY  OF  OUR  THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD  BOYS. 

Significance  of  This  Age-Period 

The  Eliminated  Are  Untrained  Workers. 

Thirteen-year-old  Truants  Are  Retarded  in  School  Work. 
The  Thirteen-year-old  Delinquent  Boy. 

Further  Evidence  of  Maladjustment  of  Thirteen-year-old 
Boys  to  School  Grades. 

One  Significant,  Simple  Index  of  Efficiency. 

Comparison  with  Other  Cities. 

Schools  in  a  System  Differ. 

Nativity  and  Industrial  Conditions. 


8 


Occupational  Distribution  of  Fathers  of  Thirteen-year-old 
Boys. 

Teachers'  Impressions  of  Boys’  Aptitude  for  Trade  Work. 

Pages  35-43. 

V. 

ATTITUDE  OF  EMPLOYERS  OF  NEW  ORLEANS 
TOWARD  EVENING,  PART-TIME,  PREPARA¬ 
TORY  AND  PRACTICAL  TRADE 
SCHOOLS. 


Their  Interest  Promises  Cooperation. 

Pages  44-45. 

VI. 

NIGHT  SCHOOL  STUDENTS  IN  RELATION  TO  TRADE 
EDUCATION  IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 


The  Laborer-Student. 

Facts  About  1472  Wage-earners  Who  Go  to  Night  Schools. 
Age  Distribution. 

Temporary  and  Blind-Alley  Jobs. 

Present,  Daily  Occupations  of  Boys  and  Men  in  the  Night 
Schools. 

Stated  Ambitions  or  Desired  Occupations  of  Boys  and  Men 
in  the  Night  Schools. 

Pages  45-53. 

VII. 

EDUCATION  IS  FOR  THE  MASSES. 

Pages  54-57. 

VIII. 

FORTHCOMING  DELGADO  STUDIES. 

Page  58. 


9 


TABLES  AND  CHART. 


Table  I.  White  Boys  Enrolled  in  Public  Schools. 

Page  19. 

Table  II.  Colored  Boys  Enrolled  in  Public  Schools. 

Page  20. 

Table  III.  Group  Analysis:  Progress,  Repeating,  Enroll¬ 
ment,  Beginners.  City  Averages  for  Boys  and  Girls  (White). 

Page  22. 

Chart  I.  Graphical  Representation  of  Table  III. 

Page  21. 

Table  IV.  Group  Analysis:  Crossman  School  and  City. 

Page  24. 

Table  V.  Group  Analysis:  Progress,  Repeating,  Enroll¬ 
ment,  Beginners.  City  Averages  for  Boys  and  Girls  (Colored). 

Page  26. 

Table  VI.  Group  Analysis :  Laf on  School  and  City. 

Page  28. 

Table  VII.  Percentages  in  Each  Grade  of  Annual  Number 
of  Beginners. 

Page  29. 

Table  VIII.  Causes  of  Elimination  in  Paulding  School. 

Page  31. 

Table  IX.  Causes  of  Elimination  in  St.  Philip  School. 

Page  32. 

Table  X.  School  Grades  of  2,122  Children  to  Whom  Cer¬ 
tificates  Were  Issued  by  Factory  Inspector. 

Page  35. 

Table  XI.  Ages  of  63  Delinquent  or  Neglected  Boys. 

Page  36. 

Table  XII.  Station  in  Enrollment  of  Thirteen- Year- Old 
White  Boys  in  New  Orleans. 

Page  37. 

Table  XIII.  Thirteen- Year-Old  Boys:  Birthplaces  of  the 
Fathers  and  Birthplaces  of  the  Boys  (White). 

Page  39. 

Table  XIV.  Thirteen- Year-Old  Boys:  Birthplaces  of  the 
Fathers  and  Birthplaces  of  the  Boys  (Colored). 

Page  40. 


10 


Table  XV.  Industrial  Distribution  of  Fathers  of  Thirteen- 
Year-Old  Boys. 

Page  41. 

Table  XVI.  Occupational  Distributions;  Percentages. 

Page  41. 

Table  XVII.  Teachers’  Impressions  of  Boys’  Aptitude  for 
Trade  Work. 


Page  43. 

Table  XVIII.  Boys  and  Men  in  Night  Schools  of  New  Or¬ 
leans. 


Page  48. 


Table  XIX,  Former  Jobs  and  Present  Ambitions  of  Twen¬ 
ty-five  Fourteen- Year-Old  Boys  of  the  Night  Schools. 

Page  47. 


Table  XX.  Present  Occupations  of  Boys  in  Night  Schools. 

Page  49. 

Table  XXI.  Occupations  Desired  or  the  Stated  Ambitions 
of  1,350  Night  School  Boys  and  Men  in  New  Orleans. 

Page  53. 


11 


INTRODUCTORY  CONSIDERATIONS. 

The  Gift  of  Isaac  Delgado. 

It  will  be  forever  a  living  tribute  to  the  life  of  Isaac  Del¬ 
gado  that  the  people  will  remember  him  as  the  first  giver  to 
them,  in  the  largest  city  of  the  South,  of  a  considerable  sum  for 
the  establishment  of  a  trades  school  for  boys.  It  is  evident 
that  he  perceived  the  great  needs  of  thousands  of  boys  who 
leave  the  grades  of  our  public  schools  utterly  unprepared  for 
earning  a  livelihood,  immature,  destined  therefore  to  failure. 
The  wishes  of  the  benefactor  were  simple  and  direct  and  the 
terms  of  the  gift,  aggregating  now  some  eight  hundred  thou¬ 
sands  of  dollars,  are  plain : 

Codocil  No.  1. 

New  Orleans,  October  11,  1909. 

“I,  Isaac  Delgado,  declare  the  following  to  be  a  codicil 
or  addition  to  my  foregoing  last  will  and  testament  of  January 
third,  1909,  and  to  be  a  part  of  my  last  will  and  testament, 
to  wit :  The  residue  of  my  estate  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  the 
City  of  New  Orleans  for  the  establishment  of  a  Central  Trades 
School  in  which  the  boys  of  the  grammar  grades  of  the  Public 
Schools  can  be  taught  a  trade  in  this  school  to  be  called  the 
Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School. 

“I  desire  the  fund  donated  by  me  to  be  used  entirely  in 
the  establishment  of  the  above-mentioned  school  and  its  per¬ 
manent  equipment,  and  I  expect  the  City  of  New  Orleans  to 
provide  for  the  teaching  force  and  the  annual  maintenance 
of  the  said  school.  Thus  have  I,  in  my  own  handwriting,  en¬ 
tirely  written,  donated  and  signed  the  above  as  part  of  my 
said  last  will  and  testament. 

“ISAAC  DELGADO.” 

Another  codicil,  No.  4,  provides  a  donation  of  $100,000  to 
establish  a  fund  to  aid  the  administrators  of  the  Charity 
Hospital  of  Louisiana  in  providing  general  revenue  to  be  ex¬ 
pended  in  the  maintenance,  repair  and  improvement  of  the 
Delgado  Memorial  Building  at  the  Charity  Hospital.  It  is 
provided  that: 


12 


“In  the  event  that  the  said  fnnd  or  its  annual  revenues 
cannot  be  used  for  the  purpose  herein  provided  because  of 
the  failure  on  the  part  of  the  Board  of  Administrators  of  the 
Charity  Hospital  of  New  Orleans  to  comply  with  the  terms 
and  conditions  of  my  letter  of  November  5th,  1906,  or  should 
the  Board  of  Trustees  herein  constituted  be  of  the  opinion 
that  the  said  ‘Delgado  Memorial’  is  not  being  administered  in 
accordance  with  the  conditions  of  my  letter  written  at  the 
time  of  the  founding  of  said  ‘Delgado  Memorial,’  then  the  said 
Board  of  Trustees  herein  constituted  shall  be  authorized  and 
are  directed  to  use  the  annual  revenues  of  said  fund  for  the 
aid  and  development  of  the  institution  to  which  I  have  donated 
the  residuum  of  my  estate,  so  long  as  said  condition  shall 
exist,  but  said  trustees  shall  again  use  said  fund  and  its  reve¬ 
nues  for  the  benefit  of  the  Delgado  Memorial  at  the  Charity 
Hospital,  as  soon  as  the  terms  of  my  letter  of  Nov.  5,  1906, 
are  again  complied  with  by  the  Board  of  Administrators  of 
the  Charity  Hospital.  ISAAC  DELGADO.” 

Reasons  for  This  Study  Preliminary  to  Establishment. 

In  carrying  out  the  wishes  of  Mr.  Delgado  expressed  thus 
simply  but  in  general  terms,  it  would  have  been  an  easy  matter 
to  buy  land,  erect  imposing  buildings,  select  teachers  from 
scores  of  applicants,  and  then  call  the  result  a  trade  school. 
In  a  community  where  no  trade  school  exists  and  where  as 
concerns  trade  schools  there  are  practically  no  men  with  thor¬ 
ough  training  or  experience  in  the  organization  and  erection 
of  trade  schools,  or  teachers  with  both  practical  and  theoretical 
preparation  in  trade  school  work,  such  a  course  inevitably 
would  have  entailed  the  waste  of  thousands  of  dollars  and, 
educationally,  the  plant  would  have  been  a  sham,  however 
imposing  the  edifices.  Experience  in  other  cities  where  trades 
schools  are  in  operation  proves  that,  even  with  intensive  ef¬ 
forts  by  specialists  to  study  needs  and  to  plan  in  advance, 
it  is  difficult  enough  to  adjust  effectively  a  proposed  trades 
school  to  the  needs  of  a  community.  The  location,  character 
and  number  of  buildings  should  depend  upon  the  character 
of  the  curricula  and  the  trades  to  be  taught.  The  curricula 
and  the  trades  are  to  be  determined  partly  by  the  nature  and 
number  of  local  industries  and  of  existing  schools. 


13 


It  is  an  accepted  view  therefore  that  in  establishing  trades 
education  it  is  economical  and  necessary  to  conduct  adequate 
preliminary  studies  regarding  such  broad  questions  as  the  ex¬ 
isting  educational  situation,  what  trades  should  he  taught, 
the  location  of  site,  the  character  of  buildings  to  he  erected 
and  the  proper  curricula  to  be  adopted  and  the  method  of  or¬ 
ganization  and  control.  If  we  elaborate  these  and  other  rea¬ 
sons  for  preliminary  data-getting  and  study  of  same  we  have 
the  following  : 

1.  With  regard  to  our  own  existing  schools  we  desire 
facts  useful  in  articulating  the  proposed  trade  school  with  ex¬ 
isting  conditions  in  our  public  schools.  Particularly  useful 
here  are  analyses  of  facts  regarding  enrollment,  elimination, 
progress  and  repeating  of  boys  in  the  grades,  and  regarding 
night  schools. 

2.  To  profit  by  the  costly  experience  of  some  other  cities 
it  is  necessary  at  first  hand  to  observe  various  types  of  voca¬ 
tional  schools  outside  of  New  Orleans.  Inspections  of  plants, 
buildings,  and  equipment,  collections  of  drawings,  pictures, 
etc.,  are  valuable  in  planning  a  new  institution. 

3.  With  regard  to  occupations  with  which  we  must  be 
concerned  in  practical  vocational  training,  we  need : 

(a)  To  ascertain  what  trades  mostly  need  to  be  taught 
in  New  Orleans  to  promote  the  welfare  of  our  indus¬ 
tries  and  our  youth. 

(b)  To  ascertain  something  about  the  “blind-alley”  or 
futureless  occupation. 

(c)  To  ascertain  health  conditions  of  different  occupa¬ 
tions,  locally  and  in  general. 

(d)  To  direct  the  intelligent  interest  and  cooperation  of 
employers  and  employees  with  regard  to  local  prob¬ 
lems  of  vocational  education. 

(e)  To  find  out  how  to  offer  new  opportunities  for  the 
hundreds  of  unemployed  boys  now  leaving  the  ele¬ 
mentary  schools. 

(f)  To  ascertain  how  the  industrial  prosperity  of  our  city 
may  be  promoted  by  means  of  vocational  education. 

4.  Special  problems  must  be  looked  into,  as :  site,  finance, 
control,  legislation,  the  training  of  delinquent  boys,  the  feeble- 


14 


minded  boy,  proposed  special  departments,  as  nautical  school, 
etc. 

Action  of  the  Commission  Council  of  New  Orleans. 

The  new  Commission  Council  of  New  Orleans  took  measures 
to  provide  for  a  preliminary  study  of  the  kind  described  above, 
before  attempting  any  development  of  the  Delgado  School. 
The  formal  means  providing  for  this  study  is  of  interest  to 
citizens  of  New  Orleans  and  also  to  other  cities  that  may  be 
confronted  by  similar  problems.  At  the  time  of  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  Division  of  Educational  Research  within  the 
Public  Schools,  the  Council  agreed  to  turn  over  to  this  new 
department  the  matter  of  the  vocational  survey,  as  a  first  step 
in  the  establishment  of  the  Delgado  School,  and  an  Ordinance 
was  passed  to  this  effect  in  July,  1913. 

What  is  a  Trades  School?  Terminology. 

The  trades  school  is  a  vocational  school  emphasizing  prep¬ 
aration  for  definite,  money-earning  vocations  in  which  an  im¬ 
portant  factor  is  manual  occupation.  A  true  school  of  mechan¬ 
ical  trades  is  not  a  manual  training  school,  or  a  reform  school, 
or  a  commercial  college,  or  a  high  school  dispensing  languages, 
algebra  and  formal  rhetoric,  and  it  is  not  a  preparatory  school 
preparing  boys  for  college  or  university.  While  all  public 
education  theoretically  has  been  vocational,  only  recently  has 
the  trades  school  appeared  with  well-defined  functions  as  a 
part  of  the  system.  It  bears  resemblance  to  the  ancient  guild 
schools  and  to  forms  of  apprenticeship.  A  modern  trades 
school  to-day  takes  account  both  of  changed  conceptions  re¬ 
garding  formal  education  and  also  the  altered  industrial  and 
economic  conditions  affecting  the  mechanical  arts  and  trades. 
It  should  give  skill  but  also  knowledge;  it  should  develop  a 
deft  hand  and  an  active  brain;  and  with  these  should  be  com¬ 
bined  feelings  of  ambition,  altruism,  civic  pride,  but  the  never- 
to-be-forgotten  specific  end  is  success  in  trade  work.  To  all 
who  would  learn  eventually  a  mechanical  trade,  the  school 
should  be  attractive,  to  the  sons  of  the  poor  and  the  rich. 

It  is  necessary,  in  order  to  lessen  the  confusion  regarding 
the  nature  and  specific  aims  of  vocational  education,  to  agree 
upon  the  use  of  a  terminology.  The  following  statements  ap- 


15 


proved  by  the  National  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Industrial 
Education,  February,  1913,  indicate  various  aspects  of  voca¬ 
tional  education  as  we  may  refer  to  some  of  them  in  these  pages. 

“Vocational  education  includes  all  forms  of  specialized 
education,  the  controlling  purposes  of  which  are  to  fit  for  use¬ 
ful  occupations. 

“The  fields  of  vocational  education  considered  here  are  in¬ 
dustrial  education,  agricultural  education,  commercial  educa¬ 
tion,  and  household  arts  education. 

“Industrial  education  denotes  the  field  of  vocational  educa¬ 
tion  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  manual  wage-worker  in 
the  trades  and  industries  and  the  household. 

“Agricultural  education  is  that  form  of  vocational  educa¬ 
tion  which  fits  for  the  occupations  connected  with  the  tillage 
of  the  soil,  the  care  of  domestic  animals,  forestry,  and  other 
useful  work  on  the  farm. 

“Commercial  education  denotes  the  field  of  vocational  edu¬ 
cation  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  wage-earner  em¬ 
ployed  in  such  business  and  commercial  pursuits  as  bookkeep¬ 
ing,  stenography,  typewriting,  clerical  work,  salesmanship. 

“Household  arts  education  is  that  form  of  vocational  edu¬ 
cation  which  fits  for  non-wage-earning  occupations  connected 
with  the  household. 

“Vocational  schools  include  all  agricultural,  industrial, 
commercial  and  household  arts  schools,  the  controlling  purpose 
of  which  is  to  fit  for  useful  occupations,  and  which  deal  with 
pupils  above  fourteen  years  of  age  and  below  college  grade. 

“An  all-day  vocational  school  is  a  school  giving  training 
to  young  persons  over  fourteen  years  of  age  who  can  give  one 
or  more  years  to  such  preparation  before  entering  employ¬ 
ment. 

“A  part-time  vocational  school  is  a  school  for  persons  en¬ 
gaged  in  useful  employment  which  affords  instruction  during  a 
portion  of  the  working  time  of  the  pupils  that  is  supplementary 
to  such  employment. 

“Evening  schools  or  classes  in  industry  or  agriculture  are 
schools  or  classes  attended  by  persons  over  sixteen  years  of 
age,  already  engaged  in  useful  employment,  which  provide 
instruction  directly  related  to  such  employment. 


16 


“Evening  schools  or  classes  in  household  arts  are  schools 
or  classes  giving  instruction  in  home-making  to  pupils  over 
sixteen  years  of  age,  however  employed  during  the  day.” 

Scope  of  This  Study. 

The  difficulty  everywhere  met  is  to  weld  the  activities  of 
the  school  to  the  life  of  the  child  and  of  the  citizen.  In  that 
phase  of  education  known  as  trade-education  we  need  to  learn 
at  the  outset  some  cardinal  facts  about  our  existing  schools, 
and  about  our  locally  dominant  and  prospective  occupations 
and  industries.  It  must  be  considered  also  that  a  boy  devel¬ 
oped  locally  may  eventually  live  elsewhere,  so  that  in  its  bene¬ 
fits  and  application  trade-training  is  fluid  and  must  not  be 
confined  in  scope  by  mere  geographical  limits. 

The  present  introductory  study,  Part  One,  is  concerned 
chiefly  with  facts  about  boys  in  our  schools.  It  is  intended 
in  succeeding  numbers  of  the  Delgado  Studies  to  present  other 
classes  of  facts,  in  addition  to  discussions  of  important  special 
problems,  as : 

1.  Facts  about  industries  in  New  Orleans  which  we  have 
studied  by  personal  visitation  to  typical  factories  and  plants 
and  by  correspondence. 

2.  Facts  obtained  by  visits  to  trades  schools  in  other  cities 
during  the  past  year.  Two  journeys  were  made  covering  some 
seven  weeks;  one  journey  in  September,  1913,  and  the  other 
in  May,  1914.  Trades  schools  were  studied  especially  in : 

Portland,  Oregon 
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin 
St.  Louis,  Missouri 
Rochester,  New  York 
Albany,  New  York 
New  York  City 
Williamson,  Pennsylvania 
Worcester,  Massachusetts 
Boston,  Massachusetts 


17 


II. 


GENERAL  FACTS  ABOUT  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  IN  NEW 

ORLEANS. 


Opportunity  Lacking  for  Education  of  Youth  in  Trades. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  produce  proof  that  provision 
for  training  boys  in  mechanical  trades  is  lacking  in  New  Or¬ 
leans.  For  boys  there  is  no  organized  public  trade  school. 
Formal  apprenticeship  in  most  trades  is  dead  or  ineffective. 
Our  industries  languish  partly  on  account  of  the  lack  of  skill 
and  knowledge  able  to  transform  raw  material  into  products 
rich  in  quality  and  quantity.  Skillful  workers  often  compete 
on  unfair  terms  with  bunglers  and  the  untrained.  There  are 
certain  relevant  facts  about  our  schools  that  will  be  helpful 
in  clear-thinking  and  in  determining  in  advance  the  ideals, 
scope,  organization  and  buildings  of  the  Isaac  Delgado  Central 
Trades  School  for  Boys,  and  which  also  emphasize  the  urgent 
need  of  vocational  training  of  a  definite  character.  A  brief 
review  of  these  facts  concerning  schools  will  now  precede  our 
consideration  of  the  industries  and  occupations  open  to  youth, 
particularly  in  New  Orleans,  and  the  later  review  of  trades 
schools  now  existing  in  other  cities  and  the  presentation  of 
special  problems.  These  classes  of  facts  all  together  should 
be  helpful  finally  in  adjusting  the  local  trades  school  to  the 
needs  of  youth  and  of  industry. 

Successes  and  Failures  of  Schools  and  of  Homes. 

Hundreds  of  boys  and  girls  successfully  do  the  work  of  the 
schools,  and  become  efficient  men  and  women.  Deplorable  con¬ 
ditions  in  our  schools  should  be  attacked  in  a  constructive 
spirit.  Sometimes  it  is  better  to  compare  the  records  of  a  year 
with  those  of  preceding  years  than  merely  with  the  records 
of  other  cities.  At  best  the  education  of  children  and  youth — 
the  formal  attempt  to  change  human  beings  in  accordance 
with  some  ideal — is  enormously  difficult  both  for  the  home  and 
the  school.  Now  that  masses  of  children,  scores  of  thousands 
in  number,  must  be  educated,  it  is  becoming  a  recognized  task 
for  trained  experts — not  merely  for  men  and  women  with  popu¬ 
larity  or  poverty  as  a  professional  asset.  In  estimating  the 
absolute  failure  of  our  homes  and  our  schools  in  New  Or¬ 
leans  to  give  the  majority  of  boys  a  full  common  school  (eighth 
grade)  education,  it  does  harm  to  overlook  undeniable  im¬ 
provements  in  our  school  system  or  to  ignore  common  difficul¬ 
ties  met  by  the  educator,  but  not  entirely  within  his  power 


18 


to  remove.  Some  oi‘  the  difficulties,  general  or  special,  con¬ 
fronted  during  the  past  ten  years  of  development,  are  these : 
climatic  conditions  of  humidity,  heterogeneous  population,  in¬ 
cluding  racial  and  religious  differences,  irregularities  in  at¬ 
tendance  of  pupils,  tenure  of  incompetent  teachers  or  officials, 
unsanitary  schoolhouses  now  being  remedied  by  the  erection 
of  good  buildings,  dependence  upon  opinion  rather  than  upon 
investigation,  meaningless  statistics,  unsuitable  curricula  and 
text-books,  changes  in  laws  and  rules,  inadequate  money,  the 
far-reaching  effects  of  the  Civil  War  felt  even  to-day.  In 
enumerating  some  of  the  failures  of  the  schools  the  citizen 
should  consider  the  advances  made  in  spite  of  such  obstacles 
in  the  past.  We  believe  it  is  right  to  call  attention  to  this 
point  before  calling  attention  to  any  remediable  failures  in 
the  cooperative  effort  between  school  and  home,  defects  which 
cannot  be  ignored  safely. 

The  Number  of  Boys  Enrolled  in  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh 
and  Eighth  Grades  Is  Relatively  too  Small  in 

New  Orleans. 

A  consideration  of  the  distribution  of  enrollment  for  boys 
in  the  different  grades  during  the  two  years  makes  plain  this 
fact.  Among  the  white  boys  the  falling  off  is  very  marked 
after  Grades  IV,  V  and  VI ;  among  the  colored  boys  the  dispar¬ 
ity  is  great  after  Grade  I  and  again  after  Grade  III. 

Table  I. 


White  Boys  Enrolled  in  Public  Schools  (September). 

-  Numbers 


Grades — 

1911-12. 

1912-13. 

I  . 

.  3,010 

2,825 

II  . 

.  2,453 

2,383 

Ill . 

.  2,442 

2,412 

IV  . 

.  2,197 

2,197 

V  . 

.  1,590 

1,608 

VI  . 

.  1,005 

1,146 

VII  . 

.  650 

680 

VIII  ... 

.  421 

458 

Total . 

.  13,768 

13,709 

19 


Table  II. 

Colored  Boys  Enrolled  in  Public  Schools  (September). 

-  Numbers  - 


Grades — 

1911-12. 

1912-13. 

I  . 

.  1,315 

1,365 

II . 

.  901 

839 

Ill . 

.  722 

697 

IV  . . 

.  402 

441 

V . 

.  186 

235 

VI  . 

.  95 

83 

VII  . 

VIII  . . . 

Total .  3,621  3,660 

Tables  I  and  II  do  not  indicate  merely  the  elimination  or 
dropping  out  of  boys  in  the  upper  grades.  The  figures  also 
show  the  presence  of  the  repeater  in  the  classes.  He  is  not  pro¬ 
moted,  remains  in  a  lower  class,  contributing  to  the  overcrowd¬ 
ing  there,  until  finally  he  is  eliminated  from  school. 

Progress  of  All  of  the  Children  in  Our  Elementary  Public 

Schools. 

The  slow  progress  and  maladjustment  of  boys  to  age  and 
grade  may  be  due  to  three  kinds  of  factors,  acting  together  or 
singly  to  retard  the  child: 

1.  Failures  on  the  part  of  the  home,  including  failure  to 

secure  attendance. 

2.  Failures  on  the  part  of  the  school,  whether  as  concerns 
teachers,  courses  of  study,  methods  or  equipment. 

3.  Defects,  physical,  mental,  or  moral,  in  the  child. 

Our  first  duty  is  to  ascertain  the  facts  regarding  progress 
of  children  in  our  schools.  We  have  ascertained  singly  for 
each  school  in  the  city,  and  for  each  grade  of  each  school,  the 
facts  about  progress,  repeating,  etc.  A  statement  for  each 
school  has  been  prepared.  We  present  here  the  facts  for  the 
city  as  a  whole.  It  is  the  first  time,  we  believe,  that  such  a 
complete  analysis  of  this  group  of  facts  has  been  printed  for 
a  large  city  school  system. 


20 


In  Table  III  the  averages  for  the  city  are  found  by  dividing 
the  number  of  children  of  each  required  group  by  the  total 
number  enrolled  in  the  grade.  Chart  I  graphically  represents 
this  analysis  for  all  of  our  elementary  (white)  schools. 


21 


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-  -  ] 

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late  entrance  G 

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G 

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G 

NOTE  Slow  progress  may  be  due  to:  (1)  factors  in  the  home  and  other  environment;  (2)  factors  in  the  school,  as  course  of  study,  teachers,  buildings,  playmates, 
etc.;  (3)  physical  or  mental  factors  in  the  child. 


The  method  of  computation  of  city  averages  in  Table  III 
differs  from  the  method  used  for  Table  IV.  Table  IV  con¬ 
tains  also  the  record  of  one  school,  the  Crossman.  It  shows 
in  percentages  the  analysis  for  all  the  white  schools 
of  the  City  of  New  Orleans,  but  the  city  averages  are 
computed  from  the  status  of  each  grade,  considered  as  a  unit. 
The  average  deviation  has  been  found  in  each  case, 
it  being  the  average  of  the  variations  in  the  different  schools 
from  the  central  tendency  (average)  of  the  city.  This  sys¬ 
tem  of  exhibiting  together  (1)  local  (school  or  grade)  per¬ 
centage,  (2)  city  average,  and  (3)  average  deviation,  affords 
a  standardization  based  not  upon  opinion  but  upon  objective 
conditions. 


23 


Department  of  Educational  Research,  Public  Schools,  New  Orleans.  FORM  K. 


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Tables  V  and  VI  show  similar  facts  for  the  colored 
schools.  Table  VI  includes  the  record  of  the  large  Thorny 
Lafon  School. 


25 


Department  of  Educational  Research,  Public  Schools,  New  Orleans.  FORM  K. 


> 

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BEGINNERS 

NOTE  Slow  progress  may  be  due  to:  (1)  factors  in  the  home  and  other  environment;  (2)  factors  in  the  school,  as  course  of  study,  teachers,  buildings,  playmates, 
eto.;  (3)  physical  or  mental  factors  in  the  child. 


It  is  proposed  to  present  in  the  Superintendent’s  Annual 
Report  a  more  detailed  consideration  of  the  important  data 
contained  in  Tables  III,  IV,  V  and  VI.  The  conditions  here 
revealed  are  the  product  of  many  factors,  as  suggested  at  the 
bottom  of  the  tables.  As  herein  reproduced,  although  re¬ 
duced  in  size,  the  tables  are  duplicates  of  the  kind  transmitted 
to  the  various  principals. 

A  comparison  of  the  city  averages  in  the  two  tables  (III 
and  IV)  shows  generally  small  differences  resulting  from  the 
two  methods  of  computation. 

With  regard  to  the  percentages  for  the  grades  in  the  dif¬ 
ferent  schools  it  should  be  understood  that  space  here  per¬ 
mits  only  the  reproduction  of  the  results  for  two  schools,  the 
Crossman,  Table  IV,  and  the  Lafon  (colored)  Table  VI. 
Similar  tables  in  duplicate  form  have  been  prepared  for  every 
one  of  the  public,  elementary  schools.  These  tables  already 
have  been  made  the  basis  of  personal  conferences  between  the 
principals  and  the  superintendents.  It  is  a  very  practical  ef¬ 
fort  toward  understanding  the  actual  conditions  in  each  school, 
and  both  commendation  and  constructive  criticisms  have  char¬ 
acterized  the  conferences. 


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etc.;  (3)  physical  or  mental  factors  in  the  child. 


III. 


THE  ELIMINATION  OF  PUPILS  FROM  THE  SCHOOLS. 


Boys  Drop  Out  of  School  Early. 

The  reliable  way  to  ascertain  the  grades  from  which  boys 
drop  out  most  commonly  is  to  check  up  individual  records 
made  by  a  large  group  of  boys.  Such  an  individual  record 
system  is  lacking  in  New  Orleans,  but  will  soon  be  installed. 
Estimates  can  be  made  by  calculating  the  percentage  of  be¬ 
ginners  for  a  given  year  remaining  in  the  respective  grades. 
The  method  used  is  that  of  Ayres.  Table  III  shows  by  this 
method  the  percentages  of  beginners  remaining  in  respective 
grades  during  the  past  two  years,  1911-1913.  This  method 
of  estimating  the  base,  the  annual  number  of  beginners  has 
been  found  by  trial  to  be  approximately  correct.  Its  value 
depends  upon  the  question  as  to  whether  the  annual  number 
of  beginners  is  “approximately  equal  to  the  average  of  the 
generations  of  the  ages  seven  to  twelve  in  the  school  member¬ 
ship  of  the  system.”  Since  our  present  eighth  grade  is  large¬ 
ly  made  up  of  children  who  entered  school  some  eight  years 
ago,  the  number  we  require  is  somewhat  smaller  than  the 
present  number  of  beginners. 

Table  VII. 

Percentages  in  Each  Grade  of  Annual  Number  of  Beginners. 


Grades 


White  Boys — 

I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII 

VIII 

1911-12... . 

.  185 

156 

156 

140 

101 

64 

41 

27 

1912-13 . 

.  178 

149 

152 

138 

101 

72 

43 

29 

Colored  Boys — 

1911-12 . 

.  315 

216 

173 

96 

45 

23 

1912-13 . 

.  320 

197 

164 

104 

55 

20 

These  estimates  indicate  that  some  70  per  cent,  of  the  white 
boys  drop  out  of  the  schools  of  New  Orleans  before  complet¬ 
ing  the  eighth  grade;  that  over  70  per  cent,  of  the  colored 
boys  leave  before  completing  the  sixth  grade. 


29 


Why  Boys  and  Girls  Drop  Out  of  School. 

A  school  system  or  a  school,  however  perfect  in  equipment, 
can  not  fulfill  its  function  without  pupils.  Elimination  defeats 
the  aim  of  the  school  and  entails  waste  of  money  and  effort. 
It  is  one  thing  to  know  the  grades  from  which  children  are 
eliminated;  it  is  another  thing  to  ascertain  definitely  the  cause 
of  elimination. 

For  one  thing,  we  have  found  that  for  various  reasons  it 
takes  the  average  child,  most  children,  in  New  Orleans,  more 
than  four  years  to  complete  four  grades.  Instead  of  remain¬ 
ing  to  make  up  handicaps  of  slow  progress — whether  due  to 
factors  in  self,  home  or  school — the  retarded  majority  drop 
out  of  school. 

It  would  be  a  laborious  but  a  practicable  and  fruitful  task 
to  have  a  trained  investigator  go  to  the  home  of  each  elimi¬ 
nated  pupil  and  ascertain  the  economic  and  personal  factors 
active  in  the  withdrawal.  In  certain  schools  these  factors  are 
difficult  for  the  school  to  overcome.  Miss  Mary  Eailey  has 
been  able  to  begin  such  an  intensive  study  in  three  schools 
during  the  past  three  months,  namely :  the  Nicholls  Trade 
School  for  Girls,  the  Paulding  School,  the  St.  Philip  School. 
We  append  here  some  of  her  notes  as  containing  examples 
of  peculiarly  difficult  problems  confronting  the  public  school 
in  its  aim  to  give  the  average  boy  a  common  school  (eight 
grades)  education.  The  schools  are  typical  of  the  more  dif¬ 
ficult  situations  in  the  city,  not  of  the  average.  The  Paulding 
School  and  the  St.  Philip  School  are  in  neighborhoods  where 
poverty  is  common. 

The  individual  records,  not  here  presented,  in  some  cases 
portray  the  typical  association  of  lack  of  occupation  or  voca¬ 
tion  with  poverty,  disease  or  crime. 

A  Study  of  the  Causes  of  Withdrawals  from  the  Paulding 

School  and  the  St.  Philip  School. 

“The  Paulding  School:  This  study  represents  an  effort  to 
ascertain,  for  the  95  pupils  who  were  enrolled  for  the  term 
1912-1913  and  who  did  not  return  for  1913-1914,  the  cause 
of  the  withdrawal  and  the  present  occupation.  This  informa¬ 
tion  was  obtained,  where  possible,  by  visits  to  the  homes,  and 


30 


the  facts  for  each  case  are  on  record,  although  not  included 
in  this  paper.  The  following  table  shows,  by  number,  the 
causes  of  withdrawal. 

Table  VIII. 

Causes  of  Elimination  in  Paulding  School. 


Number. 

Moved  out  of  neighborhood .  51 

Attending  Catholic  School .  21 

Removed  from  City .  9 

Lack  of  interest .  6 

To  go  to  work .  3 

To  assist  at  home .  2 

Committed  to  Waif’s  Home .  1 

Over  age  for  grade .  1 

Death  . . .  1 

Total . 95 


“In  explanation  of  this  table  is  should  be  stated  that  (1) 
the  attendance  at  the  Catholic  schools  is  due  to  Catholic  popu¬ 
lation.  Children  are  expected  to  attend  Parish  schools  dur¬ 
ing  the  year  in  which  they  are  preparing  to  make  their  first 
communion.  (2)  Removals  from  neighborhood  may  be 
ascribed  to  (a)  extreme  poverty,  which  makes  it  impossible 
to  pay  the  rent.  In  such  case,  the  family  moves,  leaving  no  ad¬ 
dress;  (b)  seasonal  occupation.  When  a  factory  decreases 
its  working  force,  many  families  move  to  other  neighborhoods 
where  employment  can  be  obtained.  (3)  Lack  of  interest 
seems  due  to  commercial  attitude  of  neighborhood,  which 
values  education  only  as  a  means  of  increasing  earning  ca¬ 
pacity. 

“It  is  worthy  of  note  that  while  children  are  permitted 
by  their  parents  to  stop  school,  in  only  three  cases  were  they 
required  to  do  so  because  of  stated  economic  distress  at  home. 

“Of  the  95  withdrawals,  the  60  due  to  removal  from  the 
neighborhood  were  not  susceptible  of  investigation.  Of  the 
remaining  35,  21  were  found  to  be  attending  Catholic  schools 
and  in  the  case  of  these  21  it  has  been  sufficient  to  verify  the 
parent’s  statement  from  the  enrollment  of  the  Parish  School 


31 


“Incident  to  the  investigation  are  the  following  facts  which 
seem  worthy  of  note: 

“1.  That  in  every  case  studied,  the  pupil  was  over  age 
for  his  grade. 

“2.  That  there  is  throughout  the  neighborhood,  on  the 
part  of  both  parents  and  children,  a  noticeable  lack  of  interest 
in  the  school  and  its  work. 

“3.  That  it  is  the  consensus  of  neighborhood  opinion  that 
schooling  prolonged  beyond  the  age  of  fourteen  in  no  way  in¬ 
creases  earning  capacity. 

‘  ‘  The  following  suggestions  are  therefore  submitted : 

“1.  That  the  withdrawal  of  a  pupil  from  this  school  be 
immediately  reported  to  the  Division  of  Educational  Re¬ 
search  for  prompt  investigation. 

“2.  That  emphasis  be  laid  upon  manual  work  in  this 
school. 

“3.  That  the  pupils  of  grades  3,  4  and  5  be  kept  informed 
of  the  entrance  requirements  of  the  courses  offered  by  the 
Nicolls  Girls  Trade  School.” 

On  file  are  sketches  concerning  the  economic  and  home 
conditions  revealed  in  every  case  of  elimination  studied  by  the 
social  investigator.  These  records  are  of  value  in  disclosing 
factors  adverse  to  the  school  and  also  the  individual  and  com¬ 
munity  needs  to  be  met  by  the  school. 

St.  Philip  School:  “As  in  the  case  of  the  study  of  the 
Paulding  School,  this  paper  represents  an  effort  to  ascertain, 
for  the  126  children  who  were  enrolled  for  the  term  1912-13 
and  who  did  not  return  for  the  term  1913-14,  the  cause  of  the 
withdrawal  and  the  present  occupation.  This  information  was 
obtained,  where  possible,  by  visits  to  the  homes,  and  the  facts 
for  each  case  have  been  studied  and  reported. 

Table  IX. 

Causes  of  Elimination  in  St.  Philip  School. 


Number. 

Moved  out  of  neighborhood .  52 

Attending  Catholic  school . 37 

Not  known  at  address  given .  18 

Committed  to  Waifs’  Home .  1 


32 


To  go  to  work .  11 

To  take  business  course . . . . .  2 

Illness  .  3 

Mentally  defective  . .  1 

Lack  of  interest . . .  1 


Total .  126 


“In  explanation  of  this  table,  it  may  be  stated  that  (1) 
transfers  to  Catholic  school  are  largely  due  to  Catholic  popula¬ 
tion.  Church  desires  children  to  attend  parochial  school  dur¬ 
ing  the  period  in  which  they  are  preparing  to  make  their  first 
communion. 

“(2)  Frequent  change  of  residence  may  be  ascribed  to 
poverty  which  makes  it  cheaper  to  move  than  to  pay  rent; 
seasonal  occupations — change  in  location  of  work  demands 
change  of  residence. 

“  (3)  Withdrawals  to  go  to  work  are  occasioned  by  poverty 
which  necessitates  all  possible  augmentation  of  family  income ; 
lack  of  interest  in  school  course  which  does  not  give  definite 
training  for  future  work. 

“The  following  facts  seem  worthy  of  note : 

“1.  That  in  every  case  studied,  the  pupil  was  over  age  for 
his  grade. 

“2.  That  there  is  throughout  the  neighborhood,  an  earnest 
desire  on  the  part  of  the  parents  to  have  their  children  acquire 
a  practical  education  which  shall  enable  them  to  provide  for 
themselves  and  for  possible  families.  This  desire  is  particular¬ 
ly  noticeable  among  parents  who  are  themselves  illiterate  or 
foreign,  or  both. 

“3.  That  parents  are  engaged  largely  in  levee  and  market 
trades  which  necessitate  their  leaving  home  before  five  in  the 
morning  and  prevent  the  preparation  of  the  children’s  break¬ 
fast. 

“4.  That  the  poverty  of  this  neighborhood  seems  due  to 
the  problem  of  unemployment  or  of  temporary  employment 
rather  than  to  shiftlessness  or  lack  of  personal  responsibility. 
Men  are  unskilled  or  semi-skilled  laborers  and  often  unable 
to  sign  their  names. 


33 


“The  following  suggestions  are  therefore  submitted: 

“1.  That  an  ungraded  class  be  established  in  this  school 

as  soon  as  possible. 

“2.  That  emphasis  be  laid  upon  manual  work  and  indus¬ 
trial  courses. 

“3.  That  to  the  Division  of  Research  be  reported  im¬ 
mediately  all  withdrawals  and  all  absences  protracted  beyond 
one  month,  so  long  as  these  studies  are  continued. 

A  series  of  further  investigations,  like  the  above  two 
studies  of  Miss  Railey,  to  ascertain  the  economic  and  social 
factors  outside  of  the  school  affecting  elimination,  would  be 
helpful  in  disclosing  the  conditions  under  which  each  school 
operates.  This  knowledge  would  be  of  value  in  modifying  each 
school  in  order  best  to  improve  the  community. 

The  Eliminated  Are  Untrained  Workers. 

The  boys  and  girls  who  thus  leave  school  may  go  to  work 
and  some  of  them  can  be  traced  through  the  Factory  Inspec¬ 
tor’s  office.  The  Factory  Inspector  of  Orleans  Parish,  Mrs. 
Martha  D.  Gould,  has  furnished  the  writer  with  the  following 
summary  of  the  stated  school  records  for  whom  work-certifi¬ 
cates  were  issued.  The  inspector  states  that  the  records  of 
her  office  show  a  majority  of  the  children  fourteen  years  of 
age  who  apply  for  work-certificates  to  be  “undeveloped  in 
size  and  vastly  deficient  in  education.  The  extra  two  years 
in  school,  especially  if  spent  in  an  industrial  school,  would 
better  equip  them  for  coming  duties  and  responsibilities  than 
would  the  entire  time  previously  spent  in  school.” 

The  majority  of  the  white  boys  and  girls  who  go  to  work 
have  completed  the  fifth  grade.  Of  the  blacks,  the  majority 
have  finished  only  the  fourth  grade. 

All  of  these  facts,  concerning  elimination  and  concerning 
work-certificates,  show  that  yearly  some  two  thousand  chil¬ 
dren  drop  out  of  school  to  go  to  work,  without  even  a  com¬ 
mon  school  education  and  without  proper  direction  toward 
a  suitable  occupation. 


34 


Table  X. 

School  Grades  of  2,122  Children  to  Whom  Certificates  Were 
Issued  by  Factory  Inspector  from  Sept.  1,  1912, 
to  Aug.  31,  1913,  Inclusive. 

— Boys — •  — Girls — • 

Grades —  White.  Colored.  White.  Colored. 

First  and  Second 


Year  High  School  16 

0 

12 

0 

Eighth  . 

.  75 

1 

96 

0 

Seventh  . 

. 104 

5 

113 

2 

Sixth . 

. 186 

9 

186 

o 

o 

Fifth  . 

. 276 

24 

283 

15 

Fourth  . 

. 263 

34 

149 

18 

Third  . 

.  91 

24 

55 

10 

Second  . 

.  20 

13 

7 

2 

First  . 

.  9 

5 

2 

1 

No  Schooling  . 

.  5 

1 

7 

0 

Totals  . 

.1,045 

116 

910 

51 

Grand  Totals 

. 1,161 

961 

IV. 


A  STUDY  OF  OUR  THIRTESN-YEAR-OLD  BOYS. 

Significance  of  This  Age-Period. 

The  boy  whose  last  birthday  was  thirteen  years  is  of  spe¬ 
cial  interest  to  those  interested  in  vocational  education.  He 
is  the  boy  about  to  complete  the  compulsory  attendance  period. 
Experience  shows  that  he  is  the  boy  prone  to  drop  out  of 
school  for  one  cause  or  another.  He  is  the  prepubescent  boy 
in  whom  soon  will  come  marked  physiological  and  mental 
changes.  He  will  soon  experience  accelerated  growth  in 
weight  and  height,  his  voice  will  change,  his  attitude  toward 
his  fellows  and  the  opposite  sex  will  probably  disclose  a  new 
social  consciousness.  The  formation  of  mental  habits,  ideals, 
emotions  and  crises  may  characterize  his  years  of  life  as  he 
passes  into  young  manhood.  For  his  own  sake  and  for  the 


35 


conservation  of  society  he  deserves  special  consideration  in 
the  schools  and  in  industry. 

Thirteen- Year-Old  Truants  Are  Retarded  in  School  Work. 

Examination  of  the  records  of  some  1,229  children  re¬ 
ported  to  the  truant  officers  as  habitually  absent  during  1911- 
1912  indicates  a  correlation  between  retardation  and  truancy 
or  habitual  absence.  These  records  show  that  by  far  the 
largest  percentages  of  thirteen-year-old  absentees  are  those 
from  and  below  the  fifth  grade. 

The  Thirteen- Year-Old  Delinquent  Boy. 

Our  recent  study  of  delinquent  and  neglected  boys  confined 
in  the  Home  and  Training  School  (Waifs’  Home)  shows  that 
the  average  age  of  the  group  was  13.7  years.  Practically  all 
of  the  boys  are  over  age  for  the  grades,  i.  e.,  “retarded.” 

Table  XI. 

Ages  of  63  Delinquent  or  Neglected  Boys. 

Years .  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17 

Boys . . .  115189  15  10  94 

Further  Evidence  of  Maladjustment  of  Thirteen- Year- Old  Boys 

to  the  School  Grades. 

Courses  of  study  and  grading  the  country  over  are  based 
on  the  following  age-grade  assumptions : 

A  child  6  or  7  years  should  be  in  grade  I. 

A  child  7  or  8  years  should  be  in  grade  II. 

A  child  8  or  9  years  should  be  in  grade  III. 

A  child  9  or  10  years  should  be  in  grade  IV. 

A  child  10  or  11  years  should  be  in  grade  V. 

A  child  11  or  12  years  should  be  in  grade  VI. 

A  child  12  or  13  years  should  be  in  grade  VII. 

A  child  13  or  14  years  should  be  in  grade  VIII. 

The  actual  location  in  the  grades  of  thirteen-year-old  boys 
during  the  past  three  years  is  seen  in  the  following  figures  and 
percentages : 


36 


Table  XII. 

Station  in  Enrollment  of  Thirteen- Year-Old  White  Boys  in 

New  Orleans. 


Grade. 

1911-12  1912-13 

Numbers.  Percentage.  Numbers.  Percentage. 

I  . 

.  14 

1.1 

9 

.6 

II . 

.  32 

2.4 

41 

2.9 

Ill . 

.  127 

9.5 

124 

8.9  , 

IV  . 

.  239 

17.9 

276 

19.8  • 

V . 

.  355 

26.6 

317 

22.9  ’• 

VI  . 

.  264 

19.8 

304 

21.9  7 

VII  . 

.  226 

16.9 

217 

15.7 

VIII  . 

.  75 

5.6 

99 

7. 

Total . 1,332  1,387 

fhese  facts  show  that  less  than  one-fourth  of  the  thirteen- 

year-old  white  boys  in  the  public  schools  are  in  or  above  the 
seventh  grade. 


One  Significant,  Simple  Index  of  Efficiency. 

Whatever  may  be  the  complication  of  causes  in  the  retarda¬ 
tion  of  thirteen-year-old  boys,  the  figures  showing  the  grade 
standing  of  children  who  reach  the  limit  of  compulsory  attend¬ 
ance,  constitute  one  valuable  measure  of  the  working  efficiency 
of  a  city  school  system  in  cooperation  with  the  home.  Our 
minimum  ideal  is  to  assure  the  completion  of  a  common  school 
education  by  the  majority  of  children.  The  fact  that  three- 
fourths  of  our  thirteen-year-old  boys  are  below  the  seventh 
grade,  more  than  half  being  in  or  below  the  fifth,  is  gravely 
significant.  The  distribution  in  enrollment,  the  statistics  of 
truancy,  of  delinquency,  and  data  from  the  Factory  Inspector 
— all  these  prove  that  our  school  system  in  cooperation  with 
homes  is  not  successful  in  this  one  phase  of  efficiency.  That 
some  changes  and  additions  are  surely  needed  in  our  prevail¬ 
ing  system  of  cooperation  is  certain. 

Comparison  with  Other  Cities. 

Statistics  for  other  large  cities  are  not  available  for  com¬ 
parison  with  New  Orleans.  However,  the  recent  study  of  the 


37 


Sage  Foundation  contains  the  indices  concerning  thirteen-year- 
old  hoys  for  78  cities,  between  25,000  and  200,000  population. 
New  Orleans  would  rank  low  in  the  comparative  table  (in  the 
seventies). 

Schools  in  a  System  Differ. 

The  average  per  cent  or  index  is  for  white  boys  in  the  New 
Orleans  school  system  as  a  whole.  Gross  averages  without 
knowledge  of  variability  are  usually  misleading.  It  is  possible 
to  compute  the  percentages  of  thirteen-year-old  boys  in  or 
above  the  seventh  grade  in  each  of  our  schools.  The  average 
deviation  (A.  D.)  indicating  the  average  of  the  differences 
between  the  central  tendency  and  the  different  indices, 
i.  e.,  the  average  variability  in  this  respect  among  the  schools, 
can  also  be  found. 

Nativity  and  Industrial  Conditions. 

With  the  aid  of  teachers  in  New  Orleans  we  have  gathered 
data  concerning  the  fathers  of  the  thirteen-year-old  boys.  These 
data  indicate  the  birthplace  of  boys  and  birthplace  of  fathers, 
per  cent  of  fathers  in  each  occupational  group,  occupational  dis¬ 
tribution  of  American  and  foreign-born  fathers.  While  our  in¬ 
vestigation  in  New  Orleans  was  done  independently  of  the  Ayres 
study,  nevertheless  the  suggestion  of  procedure  was  received  from 
Dr.  Leonard  Ayres,  and  our  results  are  tabulated  after  the 
manner  of  his  study  of  78  other  cities.  It  was  intended  to 
secure  “a  more  definite  fact-basis  for  thought  and  action  in  the 
field  of  industrial  education.  Some  of  the  facts  acertained  are 
of  value  in  our  attempt  to  foresee  what  sorts  of  lifework  the 
young  people  now  in  city  schools  may  be  expected  to  go  into.” 

Our  New  Orleans  study  of  thirteen-year-old  boys  included 
records  from  teachers  concerning  1,361  boys,  194  of  whom  were 
colored.  These  numbers  represent  practically  all  of  the  boys 
of  that  age  present  in  the  public  schools  during  the  week  when 
the  data  were  collected.  In  the  Ayres  study  the  aggregate  num¬ 
ber  of  cases  studied  for  78  school  systems  was  22,027.  Our  study 
does  not  include  analysis  of  conditions  directly  affecting  girls 
in  the  schools.  In  fact  it  is  not  necessary  at  this  point  to 
include  data  about  girls,  since  the  occupations  of  their  fathers 
are  about  the  same  as  those  of  the  fathers  of  the  boys.  In  the 


38 


New  Orleans  study  the  analysis  of  the  teachers’  returns  and  the 
tabulation  was  done  by  Mrs.  Margaret  Bigger,  assistant  in  the 
Division  of  Educational  Research. 

Table  XIII  shows  that  more  than  one-half  (59%)  of  the 
fathers  of  these  white  boys  were  born  in  New  Orleans.  Only 
one  father  in  six  was  born  in  the  city  where  he  lives,  according 
to  the  average  obtained  by  Ayres  in  his  study  of  78  other  cities. 
Not  excepting  Charleston,  S.  C.,  the  New  Orleans  percentage, 
59  per  cent,  is  higher  than  any  of  the  other  cities. 

Nine  per  cent  of  the  fathers  were  born  in  Louisiana  outside 
of  the  city.  Nineteen  per  cent  were  born  in  foreign  countries. 
Forty  per  cent  of  the  fathers  was  the  average  of  foreign-born 
in  78  other  cities. 

This  group  of  fathers  represents  men  of  sufficient  maturity 
to  be  fathers  of  thirteen-year-old  boys.  They  have  remained  to 
work  in  the  community  in  which  they  were  born,  a  fact  that 
bears  upon  the  question  how  far  shall  we  endeavor  to  equip 
children  to  enter  strictly  local  industries  in  obedience  to  the 
custom  of  the  people. 

The  table  also  show^s  that  86  per  cent  of  these  boys  were 
born  in  New  Orleans.  The  average  for  78  cities,  derived  from 
Ayres  study,  shows  that  some  58  per  cent  of  the  boys  were 
living  in  the  cities  of  their  birth. 

Table  XIII. 

Thirteen- Year-Old  Boys:  Birthplaces  of  the  Fathers  and 

Birthplaces  of  the  Boys  (White). 

— P  ercent  ages — 

— Fathers —  — Boys — 

78  Cities.  N.  0.  78  Cities.  N.  0. 

Same  state  but  not 


same  city  . 

. 24 

9 

19 

6 

Same  city . 

. 16 

59 

58 

86 

Another  state 

. 20 

12 

14 

5 

Foreign  country  . 

. 40 

19 

9 

2 

The  group  of  colored  boys  comprises  only  194  individuals. 
Table  XIV  is  interesting  by  comparison  with  Table  XIII.  It 
is  seen  that  a  large  percentage  of  the  negro  fathers  have  come 
from  the  country  to  the  city;  compare  28  per  cent  and  9  per 
cent;  an  inconsiderable  number  of  these  negroes  are  foreign 
born,  some  one-half  of  1  per  cent. 


39 


Table  XIV. 

Thirteen-Year-Old  Boys:  Birthplaces  of  the  Fathers  and 
Birthplaces  of  the  Boys  (Colored). 

— Percentages — 
Fathers.  Boys. 


Same  city .  55.  79. 

Same  state,  but  not  same  city .  28.  13. 

Other  state  in  the  United  States .  17.  8. 

Foreign  . 6 


This  group  of  fathers  of  our  thirteen-year-old  boys  is  a  select 
group  in  the  sense  that  it  probably  contains  few  very  young  or 
very  old  men,  few  immigrants  recently  arrived,  “floaters  and 
ne’er  do  wells.”  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  because  of  these 
characteristics  the  facts  about  this  group  are  of  unusual  sig¬ 
nificance  in  our  attempt  to  foresee  the  kind  of  general  indus¬ 
tries  the  boys  now  in  city  schools  may  enter  eventually.  It  is 
of  course  by  no  means  the  rule  that  sons  enter  the  specific  occu¬ 
pations  of  their  fathers. 

The  general  character  of  the  industries  in  which  are  found 
the  fathers  of  our  thirteen-year-olds  in  New  Orleans  has  been 
derived  from  our  data.  Below  is  Table  XY,  which  brings  local 
conditions  into  contrast  with  the  average  of  the  78  cities.  The 
industrial  classification  is  the  one  modified  by  Ayres  after  the 
one  in  use  by  the  United  State  Census  Bureau,  and  includes 
five  main  divisions: 

1.  Industries  of  Extraction — Agriculture,  Forestry,  Min¬ 

ing,  etc. 

2.  Industries  of  Transformation — Building  Trades,  Manu¬ 

facturing,  etc. 

3.  Industries  of  Transportation  and  Communication — 

Railroads,  Telegraphs,  etc. 

4.  Industries  of  Trade — Wholesale  and  Retail  Trade,  Real 

Estate,  etc. 

5.  Service — Government,  Professional,  Domestic,  Personal, 

etc. 

Table  XV  exhibits  the  industrial  distribution  for  both  white 
and  colored  fathers. 


40 


Comparisons  show  that  about  one-half  as  many  of  the  fathers 
in  New  Orleans  are  engaged  in  transformation  (manufacturing) 
as  is  the  average  for  78  cities.  A  small  proportion,  4  per  cent, 
of  the  negro  fathers  are  in  trade.  A  large  per  cent,  of  white  and 
black  are  in  service — governmental,  professional,  domestic  and 
personal.  The  significant  point  for  industrial  education  is  the 
small  per  cent  found  in  transformation,  evincing  both  a  local 
condition  and  a  need. 


Table  XV. 

Industrial  Distribution  of  Fathers  of  Thirteen- Year-Old  Boys. 

Industrial  Group. 

- Percentages - 


— New  Orleans — 

The  78 

White. 

Colored. 

Cities. 

Extraction  . 

.  3 

4 

4 

Transformation  . 

.  25 

27 

52 

Transportation  and  Communication .  13 

22 

13 

Trade  . 

.  27 

4 

20 

Service  . 

.  32 

43 

12 

Total . 

. 100 

100 

100 

Number  of  fathers . 

. 999 

165 

21,188 

Retired,  not  stated  or  none 

(num- 

bers) . 

. 168 

26 

839 

Grand  Total . 

. 1,167 

191 

22,027 

Occupational  Distribution  of 

Fathers  of 

Thirteen- Year- Old 

Boys. 

If  we  classify  the  occupations  named  in  our  data  into 
manual  and  mental  we  derive  Table  XVI. 

Table  XVI. 

Occupational  Distributions;  Percentages. 
Occupations — Manual. 

N.  0.  White.  N.  0.  Colored.  78  Cities. 
Amer.  For.  Amer.  For.  Amer.  For. 
Unskilled  .  22  24  52  .  4  9 


41 


Semi-skilled  and  machine 


operatives .  13 

5 

12 

17 

28 

Artisans  and  Foremen .  21 

20 

29 

40 

37 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Total  Manual .  56 

49 

93 

61 

74 

Occupations- 

Clerks  and  Salesmen .  24 

-Mental. 

15 

11 

6 

Managers,  Superintend¬ 

ents  and  Proprietors...  17 

34 

2 

23 

18 

Professional  and  Finan¬ 
cial .  3 

2 

5 

5 

2 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Total  Mental .  44 

51 

7 

39 

26 

Total  Manual  and  Mental — 

Percents  . 100 

Numbers  . 809 

Retired,  not  stated,  or 
none . 138 


100 

190 


100 

165 


30  26 


100  100 


Grand  Total . 947  220  191 


22,027  8,713 


The  results  show  that  for  this  group  in  New  Orleans  manual 
labor  is  not  as  general  among  the  whites  as  among  the  blacks. 
Among  the  mental  workers  of  our  group  there  is  an  unusually 
large  percentage  among  the  foreign-born  of  “  managers,  super¬ 
intendents  and  proprietors,  ’  ’  and  an  unusually  large  proportion 
of  clerks  and  salesmen  among  this  group  of  white  people  of 
New  Orleans. 

The  difficulty  of  occupational  classification  may  be  appre¬ 
ciated  by  consideration  of  a  partial  list  of  specific  occupations 
copied  at  random  from  these  New  Orleans  returns.  Such  a  list 
is  as  follows:  Auditor,  laborer,  pitman,  grocer,  foreman,  paper 
carrier,  manager,  policeman,  fireman,  carpenter,  street  sweeper, 
saloon  keeper,  mechanic,  loom  fixer,  watchman,  insurance  agent, 
blacksmith,  engineer,  longshoreman,  merchant,  clerk,  telegraph 
operator,  silversmith,  postmaster,  steamship  captain,  motorman, 
conductor,  solicitor,  engraver,  manufacturer’s  agent,  builder, 
packer  of  candies,  contractor,  baker,  miller,  stone  mason,  painter, 
cooper,  teacher,  freight  handler,  gardener,  cook,  bricklayer, 


42 


Pullman  porter,  chaffeur,  barkeeper,  tinsmith,  electrician,  photo¬ 
engraver,  farmer,  waiter,  bookbinder,  baggagemaster,  druggist, 
switchman,  corporal,  printer,  driver,  flagman,  gauger,  river 
pilot,  custom  inspector,  wheelwright,  peddler,  haberdasher,  real 
estate  agent,  oyster  opener,  levee  builder,  barber,  drayman,  cot¬ 
ton  weigher. 

Teachers’  Impressions  of  Boys’  Aptitude  for  Trade  Work. 

When  the  Delgado  School  has  been  established  unquestion¬ 
ably  it  must  interest  the  boy  at  thirteen  years,  many  of  whom 
thereafter  will  go  to  the  trades  school.  Teachers’  impressions 
given  in  answer  to  the  question:  “Do  you  think  he  will  be 
more  successful  in  trade  work  or  in  other  kinds  of  work?”  were 
expressed  individually  in  the  cases  of  over  twelve  hundred-odd 
thirteen-year-old  boys.  Since  so  many  of  these  boys  must  enter 
the  trades  eventually  and  no  adequate  provision  now  exists  lo¬ 
cally  for  their  training  in  this  direction,  the  convictions  of  their 
teachers  are  of  some  value  in  indicating  further  the  need  of 
prevocational  and  vocational  education.  We  have  tabulated  the 
returns  for  both  white  and  black  thirteen-year-old  boys  of  the 
same  groups  in  Table  XVII. 

Table  XVII. 

Teachers’  Impressions  of  Boys’  Aptitude  for  Trade  Work. 

Would  be  Successful.  Would  Not.  No.  Ans.  or  Doubt. 
White.  Colored.  White.  Colored.  White.  Colored. 

Percent.  Percent.  Percent. 

49  74  41  19  10  7 

Since  only  about  one-fourth  of  the  white  boys  of  this  age, 
at  the  end  of  the  compulsory  attendance  period,  are  enrolled 
in  the  seventh  grade  or  above,  and  about  one-fourth  of  the 
colored  thirteen-year-olds  in  the  sixth  grade  or  above,  the  in¬ 
ference  from  the  above  table  is  that  large  numbers  of  these 
boys,  in  the  judgment  of  their  teachers,  able  to  succeed  in 
trade  work,  leave  school  both  without  common  school  education 
and  prospect  or  opportunity  for  training  later  in  a  preparatory 
or  other  trade  school. 


43 


V. 


ATTITUDE  OF  EMPLOYERS  OF  NEW  ORLEANS 
TOWARD  EVENING,  PART-TIME,  PREPARA¬ 
TORY,  AND  PRACTICAL  DAY-TRADE 

SCHOOLS. 


Their  Interest  Promises  Cooperation. 

No  trade  school  should  exist  solely  for  serving  the  interests 
of  employers.  The  employer  should  desire  more  skill  and  knowl¬ 
edge  in  his  workers,  and  should  assist  to  this  end.  Continuation 
schools  in  Europe  have  been  useful  in  securing  results  for  em¬ 
ployers  and  in  enabling  boys  and  men  employed  in  the  industries 
to  perfect  themselves  in  their  chosen  work.  The  school  or  course 
intended  for  the  youth  already  employed  in  earning  a  livelihood 
is  of  interest  both  to  employee  and  employer  and  is  a  problem 
of  grave  concern  to  the  educator.  This  problem  in  New  Orleans 
is  focused  at  present  on  our  evening  schools,  for  the  vast  ma¬ 
jority  of  boys  and  men  therein  are  employed  during  the  day. 
When  the  Delgado  School  has  been  established  it  is  likely  that 
arrangements  can  be  made  with  employers  for  part-time  courses. 
By  such  arrangements  work  at  the  factory  and  work  in  school 
are  adjusted  to  the  hours  and  strength  of  the  worker  in  one  of 
two  ways:  (1)  Part-time  classes  may  consist  of  alternating 
teams  of  workers,  a  team  of  boys  remaining  in  the  trades  school 
one  week  while  the  other  is  at  work  in  the  industry,  the  next 
week  the  teams  alternating.  (2)  The  other  plan  is  for  the 
employer  to  allow  to  the  individual  a  number  of  hours  per 
week,  with  wages,  in  which  to  attend  certain  courses.  The 
evening  and  part-time  courses  should  be  in  close  relation  to  the 
regular  day  work  of  the  trades  school. 

During  the  fall  of  1913  the  writer  wrote  to  and  visited  some 
ninety  employers  in  as  many  establishments  in  New  Orleans, 
chiefly  manufacturers.  In  addition  to  this  group  visited,  re¬ 
sponses  by  mail  were  received  from  some  sixty-four  additional 
employers.  Along  with  certain  other  desired  information,  re¬ 
sponses  were  obtained  to  the  following  questions: 


44 


Would  a  practical  evening  trade  school  be  of  value  in  help¬ 
ing  unskilled  workers  or  those  of  low-grade  skill,  over  sixteen 
years  of  age,  to  advance  to  positions  requiring  high-grade 
skill?  In  favor  of  such  a  school,  51  per  cent;  no,  4  per  cent; 
silent  or  doubtful,  45  per  cent. 

Would  part-time  classes  in  a  trade  school  be  practicable 
and  of  value  in  New  Orleans  for  persons  using  a  part  of  their 
working  time  (a  part  each  day,  or  week)  for  instruction  re¬ 
lated  to  their  employment  ?  In  favor,  43  per  cent ;  no,  11  per 
cent;  silent  or  doubtful,  46  per  cent. 

Would  the  efficiency  and  future  opportunity  of  your  em¬ 
ployees  be  increased  if  they  received  a  training  between  the 
ages  of  fourteen  and  sixteen  in  a  general  public  industrial  or 
preparatory  trade  school  which  aims  to  give  a  knowledge  of 
materials,  shop  mathematics  and  fundamental  methods  and 
some  ideas  of  industrial  organization,  but  does  not  teach  a 
special  trade  ?  In  favor,  48  per  cent ;  no,  6  per  cent ;  silent  or 
doubtful,  46  per  cent. 

Would  a  practical  day  trade  school  giving  a  specialized  and 
intensive  training  of  one  year  or  more  after  the  age  of  sixteen 
help  to  meet  the  problem  of  skilled  employees  in  your  busi¬ 
ness  ?  In  favor,  50  per  cent ;  no,  4  per  cent ;  silent  or  doubt¬ 
ful,  46  per  cent. 


VI. 


NIGHT  SCHOOL  STUDENTS  IN  RELATION  TO  TRADE 
EDUCATION  IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 


The  Laborer-Student. 

That  large  group  of  boys,  girls,  men  and  women,  who  at¬ 
tend  night  schools  is  worthy  of  patient  consideration.  Some 
have  been  forced  to  leave  day  school  while  young  because  of 
economic  pressure,  some  are  ambitious  youths  making  earnest 
efforts  to  overcome  recognized  deficiencies.  The  fact  that  a 
boy  or  girl  employed  at  making  a  livelihood  during  the  day 
will  go  to  school  at  night  three  times  a  week  is  a  symptom  of 
commendable  effort.  The  best  of  equipment,  hygienic  condi- 


45 


tions  of  air  and  illumination,  able  teachers  and  appropriate 
courses  of  study  should  be  provided. 

That  their  efforts  should  both  be  facilitated  and  safe¬ 
guarded  is  emphasized  by  the  questionable  efficacy  and  health¬ 
fulness  of  night  school  work  as  often  practiced  by  tired  night 
school  pupils  and  teachers.  Winch,  the  English  investigator, 
after  practical  investigations  has  even  declared  that  “  evening 
work  is  comparatively  unprofitable  and  that  a  short  time  in 
class  in  the  evening  is  sufficient  plus  the  labors  of  the  day, 
to  induce  a  low  condition  of  mental  energy.” 

It  will  suffice  at  present  to  answer  two  questions  about 
our  night  schools : 

1.  What  kind  of  employments  do  the  workers  follow  who 
attend  night  schools? 

2.  What  are  their  ambitions? 

Facts  About  1472  Wage  Earners  Who  Go  to  Night  School 

During  November,  1913,  a  meeting  of  the  principals  of  the 
evening  schools  was  called  and  the  following  blanks  were  dis¬ 
tributed  with  the  request  that  answers  carefully  prepared 
as  possible  be  secured  from  boys  and  men  attending  the  even¬ 
ing  schools  during  the  next  week.  It  is  believed  that  with  the 
exception  of  a  small  number  the  papers  were  written  seriously 
by  the  pupils. 


Form  Y. 

Vocational  and  Educational  Survey  for  Isaac  Delgado  Central 

Trades  School. 

INDIVIDUAL  STUDY :  WAGE  EARNERS  IN  INDUSTRIES 

1.  Name?  . 

2.  Firm  ?  . . . . 

3.  Present  age?  .  Health? .  Married? . 

4.  Age  when  you  left  school? .  Grade  finished  in  school? 

.  School? . 

5.  Were  you  compelled  to  leave  school  to  go  to  work? . 

6.  If  the  school  had  taught  trades  would  you  have  stayed  a 

year  longer  to  learn  trade  work? . 

7.  What  are  the  different  kinds  of  work  you  have  done? 


46 


TABLE  XIX 


FORMER  JOBS  AND  PRESENT  AMBITIONS  OF  TWENTY-FIVE  FOURTEEN 
YEAR  OLD  BOYS  OF  THE  NIGHT  SCHOOLS 


Boys 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 
9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 
21 
22 

23 

24 

25 


Job  1 

Job  2 

Job  3 

Job  4 

Farm  _  _  _ 

Waiter  __ 

Delivery  boy  _ 

Shoes  (tack  pull¬ 
ing:)  _  _  _ 

Shoes  (cement¬ 
ing:  tips). 

Butcher  Shop.. 
Sign  painting  __ 
Printing  office  _ 
Check  boy 

Drug  store.  _  _ 

Shoe  clerk 

Carrier  _  _  _ 

Restaurant. 

Errand  boy _ 

On  wagon 
Printer  _ 

Wine  tester _ 

Box  boy  _ 
Plumber’s  help¬ 
er  _ 

Tel.  messenger 

Helper  _ 

Folding  bags _ 

Plumbing  shop. 

Wine  cellar _ 

Window  boy _ 

Errand  boy _ 

Errand  boy _ 

Errand  boy _ 

Wagon  boy, 

Soap  Co. _ 

Bootblack  _ 

Wrappingbutter 
Newsboy  _ 

Druggist _  _ 

Cash  boy.  _  _ 

Office  boy _ 

Wagon  boy..  . 

Ice  wagon 

Broker  _ 

Horse  tending __ 
Errand  boy _ 

Grocery.  _ 

Water  boy 

Errand  boy..  _ 

Office  boy  (law¬ 
yer) — 
Furniture  Fac¬ 
tory  _ 

Clerk,  Soap  Co. 

Errand  boy  __  _ 

Office  boy  _  _ 

Ice  wagon  _  _ 

Plumbing 

Cotton  mills 

Office  boy _ _ 

Wagon  __ 

Grocery 

Brooms 

Bell  boy  _ 

Office  boy. 

Water  boy. 

Soda  dispenser . 
Office  boy 

Messenger _ 

Cash  boy  _  _ 

Office  boy  _  __ 

Music  store 

Bundle  boy _ 

Moss-picker _ 

Plumbing.  _ 
Machine  Supply 
Co 

Office  boy. . 

Messenger  _  _ 

Wine  cellar _ 

Jeweler  _ 

Grocery  _ 

Paper  carrier _ 

Box  factory _ 

Cigar  store 

Ice  wagon 

Office. 

Blacksmith _ 

Desired 

Occupation 


Engineer. 

Shoe  maker. 

Druggist. 

Lawyer. 

Prize  fighter. 
Carpenter. 
Stenographer. 
Plumber. 
Horse  doctor. 
Sign  painter. 

Bookkeeper. 

Drummer. 

Engineer. 

Civil  engineer. 

Ry.  mail  clerk. 

Plumbing. 

Electrician. 

Electrician. 

Lawyer. 

Baker. 

Watchmaker. 

Chauffuer. 

Machinist. 

Stenographer 

Blacksmith. 


47 


1 . - . - . 

2 . : . . . 

3  . 

4  . 

Present  position?  .  Wage? . 

8.  What  would  you  like  most  to  do  or  be,  and  why  ? . 

9.  In  what  do  you  need  training  most  urgently  ? . 

Kindly  fill  out  carefully  and  return  to  David  Spence  Hill, 
Director  Department  of  Educational  Research,  Public  Schools, 
Municipal  Building,  New  Orleans. 

Age  Distribution. 

An  analysis  of  the  ages  of  these  boys  and  men  of  the  night 
schools  of  New  Orleans  shows  the  distribution.  The  majority 
of  them  are  from  14  to  16  years  of  age. 

Table  XVIII. 

Boys  and  Men  in  Night  Schools  of  New  Orleans. 


Age .  14  15  16  17  18-20  20-25  25  or  over 

Number .  277  363  258  187  197  126  64 

Total . 1,472 


Temporary  and  Blind-Alley  Jobs. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  a  fourth  of  the  fourteen-year-old  boys 
have  had  three  or  more  jobs.  A  third  of  the  fifteen  and  sixteen- 
year  olds  have  had  three  or  more  jobs. 

Table  XIX  contains  illustrative  examples  of  how  even  young 
boys,  fourteen-year-old  boys,  just  past  the  compulsory  age  limit, 
drift  from  job  to  job.  These  positions  as  a  rule  are  not  accepted 
as  apprenticeship  to  some  vocations,  but  merely  as  a  means  of 
earning  a  small  wage.  The  jobs  often  will  be  items  of  hard 
experience  in  the  lives  of  boys,  in  some  cases  leading  them  by 
trial  and  error  into  more  suitable  occupations,  but  this  school 
of  experience  is  a  costly  school.  With  many  boys  who  have  an 
ambition  well  in  hand  it  is  a  waste  of  life  to  spend  years  in 
occupation  with  no  educational  value  or  bearing  no  relation 
to  an  ultimate  aim  or  vocation. 

Temporary  and  Blind-Alley  Jobs  (Continued). 

A  blind-alley  job  is  a  futureless  job  in  the  sense  that  it  does 
not  improve  the  boy  for  future  vocation  and  offers  little  incen- 


48 


TABLE  XX 

PRESENT  OCCUPATIONS  OF  BOYS  IN  NIGHT  SCHOOLS 

(1913-1914) 


AGE 

OCCUPATIONS 

25  + 

20-25 

18-20 

17 

16 

15 

14 

Total 

No. 

A enmint, ant,  or  bookkeeper 

3 

3 

1 

1 

1 

9 

Agent  _  -  -  - 

1 

1 

Bag  classer _  _  - 

1 

1 

2 

Baker  or  assistant  _ _  _  _ _ _  _ 

1 

1 

2 

1 

5 

Barber  or  assistant _  _  _  _ 

1 

1 

2 

3 

7 

Barrel  paperers  and  branders _  _  _ 

1 

2 

3 

Bed  maker _  .  _ 

2 

2 

Bell  boy _ _ - 

1 

1 

Blacksmith,  helpers  and  apprentices _ 

Boiler  makers _ _ 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

6 

2 

2 

4 

3 

11 

Boilermakers’  apprentices.  _  __  _ 

1 

3 

2 

1 

7 

Bootblack _  _ _ 

1 

1 

Bottle  washers,  catchers,  passers 

1 

3 

9. 

1 

7 

Bread  wrapper _  _  _  _  _ 

1 

i 

O 

Broker _ _ _ _  _  -  _ 

_ _  -  -1 

Broom  labeler 


TABLE  XX 


PRESENT  OCCUPATIONS  OF  BOYS  IN  NIGHT  SCHOOLS 

(1913-1914) 


OCCUPATIONS 


Accountant  or  bookkeeper . 
Agent _ 


Bag  classer. 

Baker  or  assistant _ 

Barber  or  assistant _ 

Barrel  paperers  and  branders _ 

Bed  maker _ _ _ 

Bell  boy _ ~ 

Blacksmith,  helpers  and  apprentices _ 

Boiler  makers _ 

Boiler  makers’  apprentices _ 

Bootblack. 


Bottle  washers,  catchers,  passers. 

Bread  wrapper _ 

Broker _ 


Broom  labeler _ 

Bundle,  delivery  or  wagon  boy-_. 

Butcher  or  assistant _ 

Buyer. 


AGE 


25  + 


2 

1 


Blue  printer _ 

Cabinet  workers,  helpers  and  apprentices 

Candy  makers _ 

Can  factory  operatives _ 

Carpenters,  helpers  or  apprentices _ 

Carriage  trimmer _ 

Carrier _ 

Cashier _ 

Cash  boy _ 

Cement  work _ 

Chair  tying _ 

Check  boy _ 

Cigar  classer  or  maker _ 

Cistern  worker  and  helper _ 

Clerks _ 

Coffee  roaster _ 

Coffin  factory  operative _ 

Collector _ 

Conductor _ 

Cooper _ 

Draftsman  or  apprentice _ 

Driver _ 


10 


20-25 


1 

2 


28 


Dairyman  or  assistant _ 

Drummer _ 

Elevator  or  messenger  boy _ 

Engineer _ 

Embosser _ 

Entomological  assistant _ 

Electrician,  helpers  or  apprentices. 

Errand  boy _ 

Farmer  or  gardener _ 

Fisherman _ 

Fireman _ 

Fruit  or  vegetable  dealer _ 

Garment  cleaner _ 

Glazier  or  helper _ _ _ 

Grinder _ 

Guide _ 

Gum  seller _ 

Ice  boy _ 


Illustrator _ 

Interne _ 

Jewelry  helper _ 

Laboratory  helper _ 

Laborer _ 

Lamp  trimmer _ 

Lawyer _ 

Lithographer _ 

Live  stock  inspector _ 

Loom  oiler _ 

Longshoreman _ 

Lunchstand _ 

Lumber,  handler  or  inspector _ 

Machinist,  helper  or  apprentice _ 

Machine  operative _ 

Market  boy _ 

Marble  cutter,  helper  or  apprentice _ 

Mattress  maker _ 

Mill  hand _ 

Molasses  sampler - 

Motorman _ 

Macaroni  maker - 

Operator _ 

Order  boy _ 

Office  boy - 

Optical  work - 

Packer - 

Painter  or  helper - 

Paper  boy - 

Paper  hanger - - - 

Pharmacist  or  assistant - 

Photographer  or  assistant - 

Photo  engraver  or  assistant - 

Piano  repairer - 

Pipe  fitter,  helper  or  assistant - 

Poultry  dealer - - - 

Printers,  press  boys,  assistants - 

Promoter _ ; - 

Plumbers,  helpers  or  apprentices - 

Rectifier’s  assistant - 

Reporter - 

Rice  grader - 

Salesman - 

Saloon  man - 

Sack  folder - 

Saddle  maker - 

Sausage  maker - 

Sign  painter  or  helper - 

Sexton - 

Sheet  iron  worker - 

Shoemaker - 

Soda  dispenser - 

Slater  or  helper - 

Soldier - 

Stenographer - - 

Stock  boy - 

Suit  case  maker - 

Sugar  sampler - 

Tag  stamper - 

Tailor. 


1 

1 

2 


2 

T 


2 

2 

1 


2 

1 

1 


4 

1 


1 

2 


18-20 


1 

4 


2 

1 


70 

1 


1 

5 


11 


Tank  washer - 

Time  keeper - 

Tinsmith - 

Umbrella  steamer - 

Vulcanizer - 

Utility  man - 

Waiter - 

Watchmaker  or  assistant - 

Warehouseman - 

Weigher - 

Welder - 

Wheelwright  or  assistant - 

Window  dresser  or  assistant. 
Woodworker - 


6 

1 


1 

2 


2 

1 


4 

2 


4 

3 

1 


17 


2 

3 


1 

2 


1 

T 


48 

~2 


2 

1 


o 

6 

3 


1 

24 

7 


2 

2 


1 

10 


8 

1 

1 

1 


1 

3 


1 

1 

3 


3 

1 


5 

2 


2 

2 


1 

15 

2 


16 


3 

1 


5 

4 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 


1 

56 


1 

3 


4 

20 

2 

1 


1 

7 

11 


1 

2 

2 

3 

1 

2 


1 

’6' 


4 

6 


1 


29 


5 

3 

1 


1 

6 


7 

2 


15 


1 

2 

2 


2 

1 

1 


2 

1 

1 


12 

3 

1 


1 

9 


56 


1 

3 

1 


4 

22 

2 


1 

2 

2 

3 


4 

9 


67 


2 

5 


6 

16 


1 

3 


2 

6 


2 

"l" 


1 

2 


2 

10 


2 

1 


2 

T 


Total . 


14 


1 

3 

2 


1 

18 

1 


1 

3 

2 

1 


1 

1 

1 

9 


21 


16 

4 


1 


1 

5 

2 

1 

1 


2 

62 


1 

4 


1 

3 


3 

1 


1 

1 

2 


Total 

No. 


9 

1 

2 

5 
7 
3 
2 
1 

6 
11 

7 

1 

7 

2 

1 

1 

38 

11 

2 

1 

6 

3 

4 
16 

2 

4 

1 

4 

1 

2 

24 

2 

1 

289 

1 

1 

18 

1 

2 

7 

16 

3 

1 

2 

3 
1 
1 

24 

67 

17 

1 

2 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

4 
3 
3 

14 

1 

1 

2 


1 

1 

2 

3 

66 

35 
2 
2 
1 
2 
1 
1 
2 
2 

4 
165 

1 

8 

11 

12 

3 
1 
2 

4 
2 

5 
1 

15 

1 

36 
2 
1 
3 

29 

1 

1 

1 

1 

5 

1 

8 

5 

1 

1 

1 

22 

34 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2 

9 

1 

1 

5 

3 

1 

1 

3 
1 
1 
2 

4 


1232 


NOTE— No  or  undefined  occupations  not  included  above:  Sor^„2^^ 

factory,  saw  mill,  roofing  company,  sugar  refinery,  syrup imnanv  insurance  company,  art  glass  company, 
art  store,  brewery,  baking  powder  company,  mfil  supply  comps  •  ’  ffee  ^ompany(  flour  company, 

distilling  company,  cotton  press,  credit  association,  furniture  company, 
tobacco  company,  etc. 


tive  for  self-development.  In  the  absence  of  effective  appren¬ 
ticeship  hundreds  of  boys  in  New  Orleans  are  buffeted  from  job 
to  job,  with  waste  of  time  and  strength.  It  is  doubtful  if  there 
are  many  commercial  occupations  in  New  Orleans  open  to  boys 
from  14  to  16  years  of  age,  that  afford  very  desirable  training. 
It  would  be  better  if  childhood  and  youth  could  be  prolonged 
in  school  rather  than  in  business.  To  learn,  to  be  trained  into 
habits  of  success,  to  grow,  to  play  is  the  natural  business  of 
boys — not  to  be  sacrificed  to  the  demand  for  “cheaper  and  bet¬ 
ter  industrial  products.” 

Present  Daily  Occupations  of  Boys  and  Men  in  the  Night 

Schools. 

The  fact  that  so  many  youths  are  in  temporary  positions 
renders  all  classifications  or  catalogings  of  this  group  tentative. 
It  is  of  some  value,  however,  in  ascertaining  how  the  daily  oc¬ 
cupations  of  the  night  school  students  are  related  to  the  courses 
given,  to  know  the  nature  of  these  occupations,  especially  in 
the  absence  of  trade-training  in  our  night  schools. 

In  Table  XX  are  stated  all  of  the  different  occupations  ar¬ 
ranged  according  to  age  groups. 

A  brief  consideration  of  this  table  shows  plainly  these  sig¬ 
nificant  features  regarding  the  occupations  of  night  school 
students : 

1.  There  is  great  diversity  of  occupation,  some  150  differ¬ 
ent  kinds  of  positions  being  included  in  this  list.  It  is  difficult 
in  many  occupations  stated  to  distinguish  between  an  artisan, 
helper  and  an  apprentice.  The  manual  occupations  are  well 
represented  in  diversity,  but  not  in  numbers.  Opportunity 
exists  for  interesting  larger  groups  of  our  trade  workers  in 
the  night  schools. 

2.  A  large  number  of  the  younger  boys,  some  300,  at  14,  15 
and  16  years  of  age,  are  office,  errand,  bundle  or  check  boys — 
occupations  that  give  little  training  and  pay  about  $3  per  week. 

3.  A  good  fifth  of  the  enrollment  (289)  are  clerks  of  various 
kinds,  as  bill,  sample,  record,  rate,  order,  postal,  policy,  file, 
entry,  application  and  grocer  clerks. 

4.  Machinists,  electricians,  carpenters,  boilermakers,  sheet 
iron  workers,  tinsmiths,  plumbers,  pipe  fitters  and  their  helpers 
or  apprentices  comprise  a  considerable  group,  about  150. 


51 


Stated  Ambitions  or  Desired  Occupations  of  Boys  and  Men 

in  the  Night  Schools. 

Answers  to  the  question :  “What  would  you  most  like  to  be 
or  do  and  why?”  were  written  by  1,350  students  of  the  night 
schools.  The  analysis  of  these  replies  is  suggestive  in  indicating 
the  lines  of  interest  of  these  boys  and  men.  No  adequate  ad¬ 
justment  of  curricula  and  methods  can  be  made  without  some 
consideration  of  the  predominant  interests  of  the  pupils.  How¬ 
ever,  it  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  new  offerings  of  opportuni¬ 
ties  for  vocational  training,  properly  presented  to  trades  workers, 
doubtless  would  attract  hundreds  not  now  benefitted  by  the 
night  schools.  See  Table  NXI. 

With  reference  to  the  present  group  it  is  observed  that: 

1.  A  great  diversity  of  occupations  is  enumerated.  Here 
is  indicated  the  necessity  of  provision  for  ascertaining  and  cul¬ 
tivating  the  individual  needs  of  the  pupils. 

2.  The  largest  group,  more  than  500 — more  than  a  third  of 
the  whole  number,  includes  those  who  would  become  mechanics, 
machinists,  engineers,  electricians,  plumbers,  carpenters. 

3.  Some  300  would  become  bookkeepers,  stenographers,  clerks, 
etc. 


52 


TABLE  XXI 


OCCUPATIONS  DESIRED  OR  THE  STATED  AMBITIONS  OF  1350  NIGHT 
SCHOOL  BOYS  AND  MEN  IN  NEW  ORLEANS 


OCCUPATIONS 

AGE 

25  + 

20-25 

18-20 

17 

16 

15 

14 

Total 

No. 

Architect _ 

1 

2 

4 

1 

2 

2 

12 

Artist  and  Cartoonist _ 

1 

3 

7 

1 

12 

Baker _ 

4 

3 

7 

Blacksmith _  _ 

1 

1 

3 

1 

1 

7 

Bookkeeper _ _  _ _ 

4 

9 

23 

14 

24 

34 

24 

132 

Boiler  makers  and  iron  workers _ 

2 

1 

7 

3 

3 

1 

17 

Butcher _  _ 

2 

5 

5 

12 

Carpenter _ _ 

2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

5 

15 

27 

Chauffuer _ 

2 

2 

4 

Chemist..  _ 

5 

3 

1 

2 

2 

2 

4 

19 

Civil  Service _ 

1 

1 

8 

5 

5 

1 

1 

22 

Clerk _ 

6 

2 

11 

7 

17 

17 

20 

80 

Contractor _ _  _ _ 

1 

2 

3 

1 

7 

Draftsmen,  mechanical  and  architectural 

4 

8 

13 

4 

5 

5 

2 

41 

Drummer  _ _  _ 

1 

4 

7 

5 

3 

20 

Engineer.  _ _  _ 

7 

9 

14 

18 

14 

34 

19 

115 

Engineer,  locomotive.  _  _ 

1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

5 

14 

Engineer,  civil _  _ 

5 

4 

5 

6 

11 

2 

33 

Electrician- _ 

1 

7 

13 

14 

21 

32 

12 

100 

Farmer  ..  .  .... _ ... 

1 

3 

1 

2 

1 

8 

Journalist _ _ 

1 

2 

1 

4 

Lawyer _  _ _ 

2 

2 

4 

6 

6 

10 

30 

Lumber _  _ _ _ _ _ 

2 

1 

3 

Mechanic  or  machinist _ 

1 

9 

24 

23 

35 

35 

35 

162 

Office  manager _ 

2 

1 

3 

2 

8 

Painter.. _ 

1 

2 

3 

6 

Pharmacist-  _ _ _ _  _ 

1 

1 

2 

4 

4 

4 

16 

Photo  engraver  _ _ 

3 

1 

2 

6 

Plumber  or  pipe  fitter _ _ 

1 

3 

4 

10 

25 

11 

54 

Printer _ _  _ 

1 

6 

12 

4 

23 

Salesmen _ 

2 

8 

2 

4 

3 

3 

2 

24 

Stenographer.  _ 

2 

4 

7 

11 

15 

18 

14 

71 

Telegraph  operator _ _ 

1 

6 

8 

8 

23 

Merchant  or  business  man _ 

2 

6 

1 

6 

5 

7 

3 

30 

Miscellaneous,  Note  * _ 

6 

17 

35 

20 

27 

53 

45 

201 

Total _ 

48 

109 

188 

164 

245 

339 

257 

1350 

*Numbers  in  parentheses  ()  indicate  ages: 

(25  and  up)  Foreman  1,  millwright  1,  advertising  manager  1,  brewer  1,  motorman  1,  claim  agent  1; 
total  6. 

(20-25)  Accountant  1,  doctor  2,  entomologist  1,  grocer  1,  paper  hanger  1,  pharmacist  1,  policeman  1, 
ship  inspector  1,  translator  1,  suit  case  maker  1,  traffic  expert  1,  salesman  1,  rice  grader  2,  unclassified  2; 
total  17. 

(18-20)  Ball  player  1,  banking  1,  bottling  1,  cabinet  maker  3,  dentist  1,  doctor  1,  drummer  1,  fore¬ 
man  1,  furniture  1,  gas  engineer  1,  hardware  dealer  2,  insurance  2,  lumber  2,  musician  1,  mustard  manufac¬ 
turer  1,  piano  repairer  1,  professor  1,  reporter  1,  translator  1,  telephone  operator  1,  tinsmith  1,  wireless 
operator  1,  watchman  1,  railroad  official  2,  salesman  2,  unclassified  3;  total  35. 

(17)  Ball  player  1,  barber  1,  blacksmith  1,  book  binder  1,  broom  maker  1,  dental  supplies  1,  doctor  1, 
grocer  2,  linotyper  1,  mining  engineer  1,  optician  1,  shirt  cutter  1,  translator  1,  broker  2,  tailor  1,  tinsmith 
1,  refrigerating  engineer  1,  unclassified  1;  total  20. 

(16)  Banking  3,  book  binder  2,  cabinet  maker  1,  clothing  1,  doctor  1,  florist  1,  lumber  1 , 
macaroni  dryer  1,  marble  cutter  1,  musician  1,  photographer  1,  sawyer  1,  translator  1,  suit  case  maker  1, 
tinsmith  1,  wrood  cutter  1,  railroad  official  2,  rectifier  2,  tile  setter  1,  others  3;  total  27. 

(15)  Aviator  1,  ball  player  1,  banking  3,  barber  2,  bed  maker  1,  broom  maker  1, 
cabinet  maker  3,  civil  service  1,  contractor  1,  dairyman  1,  doctor  4,  decorator  1,  fireman  3,  floor  walker  1, 
finisher  1,  hardware  dealer  1,  insurance  1,  linotyper  2,  musician  2,  policeman  1,  soldier  1,  sailor  1,  switch¬ 
man  1,  sign  maker  3,  broker  3,  tinsmith  1,  agent  2,  railroad  2,  window  dresser  2,  jeweler  1,  actor  2,  glazier  1; 
total  52. 

(14)  Accountant  1,  ball  player  2,  barber  2,  bar  pilot  1,  book  binder  1,  cabinet  maker  2, 
doctor  2,  drayman  1,  drummer  3,  fireman  2,  grocer  3,  gold  plater  1,  longshoreman  2,  messenger  1,  molasses 
buyer  1,  multigraph  operator  1,  musician  1,  optician  1,  piano  repairer  1,  prize  fighter  1,  shoemaker  2, 
sign  maker  2,  tailor  1,  veterinarian  1,  wireless  operator  1,  watchmaker  2,  jeweler  1,  agent  1,  glazier  1,  wheel¬ 
wright  1,  unclassified  1-  total  44. 


VII. 


EDUCATION  IS  FOR  THE  MASSES. 


We  can  not  find  in  industrial  training  a  panacea  for  all  of 
our  social  evils.  If,  however,  we  succeed  in  getting  away  from 
the  obsolete  conception  that  public  education  exists  chiefly  for 
preparation  of  a  relatively  small  group  of  boys  and  girls  for 
general  culture  purposes,  or  for  the  professions,  teaching,  law, 
medicine,  or  else  to  fill  positions  as  clerks,  bookkeepers  and 
stenographers,  we  shall  then  do  more  for  that  90  per  cent,  of  our 
pupils  who  never  finish  the  high  school,  and  for  that  majority  of 
our  boys  who  do  not  even  complete  the  grammar  grades.  Our  ed¬ 
ucation  in  school  and  home  in  New  Orleans  needs  to  take  hold  of 
the  humbler  vocations  of  life.  If  we  cannot  give  young  boys 
intensive  preparation  in  occupations  we  can  give  them  train¬ 
ing  in  habits  of  success,  a  desire  to  rise  and  by  vocational  guid¬ 
ance  a  review  of  the  fields  open  to  them.  This  is  better  than 
inculcating  distaste  for  school,  the  habit  of  failure  and  haphazard 
entry  into  occupations. 

The  magnitude  of  modern  educational  systems — city,  state 
or  denominational — and  the  baffling  complexity  of  problems 
daily  confronting  professional  educators,  leave  little  time  to  prac¬ 
tical  workers  in  the  field  for  theorizing  about  ideals  and  motives 
of  formal  education.  Pioneers  in  educational  theory,  such  men 
as  Plato,  Comenius,  Rousseau,  Loyola,  Pestalozzi,  Spencer,  are 
to-day  lacking,  The  contemporaneous  theorist,  whether  in  the 
university  or  out  of  it,  who  is  apart  from  the  daily  struggle 
in  controlling  scores  or  hundreds  of  schools  and  classes,  and 
apart  from  the  work  of  the  teacher,  can  not  easily  temper  our 
practice  with  sound  theory  or  do  the  work  of  the  pioneers. 

It  has  come  about  in  the  mind  of  the  public  that  some  con¬ 
fusion  and  ignorance  exist  about  the  nature  and  aims  of  voca¬ 
tional  education  in  its  numerous  aspects.  There  is  the  over- 
enthusiastic  advocate  of  manual  training  who  is  unable  to  meas¬ 
ure  its  limitations  or  to  confine  to  its  natural  sphere  this  val¬ 
uable  educational  method;  a  good  course  in  “ manual  training,” 
he  thinks,  is  the  kernel  in  the  best  of  vocational  training. 
Worse,  there  is  the  citizen  to  whom  the  term  “  vocational  edu- 


54 


cation”  vaguely  spells  “commercial  college.”  The  kind  of  a 
school  where  stenography,  bookkeeping  and  typewriting  are 
taught  honestly  is  a  phase  of  legitimate  vocational  education,  but 
there  is  a  type  of  business  school  or  college  the  aim  of  which  is 
not  education,  but  rather  imposition  and  extortion,  practiced 
upon  struggling  girls  and  youth.  Equally  abominable  are  al¬ 
leged  “trade”  schools  run  for  profit  by  promoters  who  fraudu¬ 
lently  profess  to  teach  a  trade — bricklaying,  carpentering,  plumb¬ 
ing — within  a  few  weeks,  for  a  cash  consideration  paid  in  ad¬ 
vance.  Agricultural  education  has  been  so  long  and  so  well 
supported  by  the  state  and  the  federal  governments  that  in  the 
minds  of  some  it  comprises  the  most  of  vocational  education.  In 
a  sense,  normal  schools,  law,  theological,  medical  and  engineer¬ 
ing  schools  are  all  vocational  schools.  Formerly  the  study  of 
Latin  was  a  matter  of  utility  and 'vocation.  It  is  not  surprising 
tlia^t  glee  and  a  superior  attitude  of  criticism  toward  vocational 
education  is  sometimes  exhibited  by  extreme  exponents  of  Latin- 
mathematical-classical  training  for  the  majority  of  boys  and  girls. 
In  the  present  state  of  development  of  the  concept  of  vocational 
education  an  affectation  of  pseudo-culture  is  easily  assumed  by 
educational  pharisees,  but  it  may  become  genuinely  dangerous 
to  the  public  welfare  when  needed  funds  are  directed  to  its  ex¬ 
pression.  Perhaps  the  situation  is  the  more  complicated  because 
here  and  there  in  the  mass  of  teachers  may  be  found  disputants 
who  look  upon  the  school  system  more  as  a  supply-source  of  po¬ 
sitions  and  livelihood  than  as  a  system  existing  primarily  for 
the  development  of  the  masses  of  children  and  youth. 

Mistakes  will  be  made  in  installing  vocational  education;  an 
experimental  stage  must  be  passed  in  its  renaissance.  The  suc¬ 
cessful  development  of  public  understanding  of  the  necessary 
basis  of  morality,  culture,  health  and  efficiency,  found  in  wise 
vocational  training,  continues  to  grow  by  leaps  and  bounds. 
The  old  curriculum  of  Latin,  Greek  and  mathematics  still  has 
its  unique  place  and  value  for  a  few  students  with  interest 
and  time  to  follow  these  to  fruition.  However,  in  spite  of  the 
clamor  and  Ciceronian  attacks  of  classicists  upon  the  “super¬ 
ficiality,”  the  “coarseness,”  the  “lack  of  mental  discipline,” 
the  “utilitarian  spirit,  ”the  horrid  errorsof  grammar  or  rhetoric 
that  word-conscious  critics  perceive  in  the  writings  of  progres- 


55 


sive  educational  spirits,  to-day  Latin  and  algebra  and  higher 
mathematics  can  no  longer  be  foisted  upon  thousands  of  un¬ 
willing  high  school  and  normal  school  and  college  students 
merely  in  the  name  of  an  alleged  culture.  The  movement  in  be¬ 
half  of  a  broader  culture  and  of  a  sound  vocational  education  is 
world-wide  and  irresistible. 

In  a  sense  all  education  is  vocational.  Right  efforts  to  de¬ 
velop,  discipline,  teach,  train,  inspire  are  of  present  value  to 
childhood  and  youth  in  the  happiness  of  the  doing,  but  effi¬ 
ciency  in  life  exhibited  in  some  vocation  is  the  ultimate  aim. 
Only  when  the  direction  of  vocational  education  is  in  the  hands 
of  superficial  minds  is  there  actual  danger  of  “commercializ¬ 
ing”  education,  of  adopting  a  crass  utility  as  the  ideal.  Educa¬ 
tion  that  is  contrary  to  fundamental  needs  in  human  survival 
and  evolution  must  run  only  a  short  course.  Though  remote  in 
time  from  the  beginnings,  our  modern  professions  and  voca¬ 
tions  hark  back  to  man’s  simple  needs.  The  most  primitive 
needs  of  man  were  expressed  in  the  quest  and  inventions  of 
food,  clothing,  shelter,  transportation,  companionship.  Far  back, 
with  the  increase  of  knowledge  and  man’s  power  there  also  de¬ 
veloped  consciously  the  needs  for  religion,  morality,  law  and 
art.  Life  to-day  is  amazingly  complex  and  in  our  attempt  to 
prepare  children  for  life  the  fundamental  value  of  a  useful  vo¬ 
cation,  rather  than  antlike  activity  that  accomplishes  nothing 
with  mankind,  is  a  principle  not  to  be  forgotten. 

This  is  a  broader  vision  of  vocational  education  than  to  think 
of  it  confusedly  as  some  short  avenue  to  a  commercial  position 
or  to  superficial  success.  Education  for  vocation,  or  for  life, 
should  enable  a  man  or  woman  to  bear  the  burden  of  life  rather 
than  to  become  a  parasite;  it  tends  to  develop  health,  inde¬ 
pendence,  ambition,  active  morality.  This  aim  in  education  in¬ 
cludes  the  desire  to  do  some  one  thing  well,  perhaps  better  than 
any  one  else,  and  by  the  exercise  of  this  trained  ability  to  make 
a  contribution  to  the  betterment  of  human  life.  This  conception 
of  education  forever  banishes  the  false  notion  that  education  is 
merely  for  the  favored  few,  for  “gentlemen’s  sons.”  It  opens 
new  possibilities  in  the  adjustment  of  individual  capacity  and 
opportunity  to  the  various  employments  and  dignifies  these  with 
importance,  whether  these  vocations  be  those  of  the  farmer,  the 


56 


mechanic,  the  seamstress,  the  cook,  the  mill  hand,  the  sailor, 
the  stenographer,  the  actor,  the  home  maker,  the  engineer,  the 
writer,  the  teacher,  the  lawyer,  the  doctor,  or  the  minister. 

The  public  schools  are  intended  to  serve  the  masses.  Vo¬ 
cational  education  is  not  merely  to  be  added  to  our  present 
system  of  public  education.  The  existing  system  needs  reno¬ 
vation  from  kindergarten  to  university,  until  wise  articulation 
of  the  vocational  aim  with  the  disciplinary  and  culture-aims 
has  been  effected.  This  undertaking  in  New  Orleans,  as  in 
other  cities,  is  complicated  and  difficult.  Courses  of  study, 
preparation  and  selection  of  teachers  and  officials,  the  choice 
of  sites  and  plan  of  buildings,  the  purchase  of  supplies  and 
equipment,  the  problems  of  finance — all  these  topics  suggest 
unanswered  questions  remaining  to  be  solved  in  a  courageous 
but  cooperative  spirit. 


57 


FORTHCOMING  DELGADO  STUDIES. 


Future  numbers  of  these  studies,  of  which  this  Part  One  is 
the  introduction,  will  contain  further  data  bearing  upon  the 
establishment  of  the  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School,  in  its 
various  departments.  Data  are  being  gathered  concerning: 

INDUSTRIES  IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 

BUILDINGS,  EQUIPMENT  AND  ORGANIZATION  OF 
BEST  TRADES  SCHOOLS  IN  OTHER  CITIES. 

SPECIAL  PROBLEMS  CONCERNING  VOCATIONAL 
AND  TRADE  EDUCATION  IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 


Part  One 
Vocational  Survey 

,FOR 

The  Isaac  Delgado  Central  Trades  School 

Facts  About  the  Public  Schools  of 
New  Orleans  in  Relation 
to  Vocation 

f  ..  -  -- 

BY 

DAVID  SPENCE  HILL,  Ph.  D. 

Division  of  Educational  Research, 
Department  of  Superintendence,  Public  Schools, 

New  Orleans 


Published  by  the 

Commission  Council,  New  Orleans 
June  1914 


. 


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